Little Wonders
by Sandylee007
Summary: One night of heat and passion leads to something life changing. When Spencer Reid tells Derek Morgan that he's pregnant how does the older agent react? Will Reid face the biggest decision of his life alone? MORGANXREID SLASH, MPREG VERY MILD ALPHA/OMEGA THEME
1. Prologue

A/N: Oooookay… This idea's been sitting in the back of my head FOR AGES. Until now I've been hesitant to let it grow and flourish, though. (blushes) This whole idea is certainly something very different. But hopefully you'll still enjoy…?

WARNINGS: VERY mild alpha/omega, SLASH, MPREG, language, gore, adult themes… (looks around) Anyone out there…?

DISCLAIMER: MUAH-HAH-HAA! Yeah, as if I'd own anything… (pouts) I'll just have to be content with borrowing the characters for a while.

Weeeelll… If I want to get this started by chickening out I'd better get going now. I really hope that you'll enjoy the ride!

* * *

**_Little Wonders_**

* * *

Prologue

* * *

There was a quite comical look on Dr. Spencer Reid's face when he sat in a doctor's office, staring boldly straight ahead like a prisoner preparing for their execution. His hands shook miserably and he tried to ball them to hide it. All he succeeded in was making his hands sore.

"So…" He frowned, still trying to process what he just heard. "There's nothing wrong with me?" This was becoming a very bad, repetative joke.

His doctor, a man in his mid-forties with kind brown eyes and hair of the same color named Gregory Wilson, smiled at his confusion. "That's right. I can assure you that there's absolutely nothing wrong with you."

Spencer's left eyebrow twitched. He could feel a headache seeking an opening. "But… I've been throwing up for almost a week now. And those dizzy spells…"

Dr. Wilson nodded patiently. "… are both very common in your current situation", the doctor reassured him. "You may want to take it a bit easier, though. Your line of job isn't exactly ideal for someone in your condition."

Spencer frowned. _In _what_ condition…?_ And then, slowly yet inevitably, it hit him. His eyes widened to a ridiculous size. "Oh…!"

Dr. Wilson grinned. "Congratulations, Spencer. You're pregnant." Then, seeing the pure shock and nausea on his face, the doctor's expression became hesitant. "Or should I congratulate you …?"

Spencer didn't even really hear those words. There was a cacophony of chaotic thoughts filling his head. His heartbeat at the moment couldn't be healthy. "I can't be", he sputtered feebly. "I… I've used… ah…" It was almost humorous that he couldn't bring himself to use the word 'protection' even under the circumstances.

"I have the blood test results here. So… I'm quite certain", Dr. Wilson pointed out. There was genuine sympathy on the man's face. "I'm taking it you and your Alpha haven't talked about having kids yet."

Spencer sighed. It shuddered far more than it should've and his eyes didn't feel entirely dry. _Damned hormones…!_ "It's… not like that", he managed. He took a deep breath, as though gathering courage. "I don't have a Alpha. I'm not even sure if I'd want one."

Dr. Wilson's eyebrow bounced up. There was a hint of surprise in the man's eyes but no judgement. "I see."

Now that he thought about it Spencer knew exactly when he ended up being knocked up. A little over seven weeks earlier there'd been a case, so intense that it made him forget about his heat suppressants. And as luck would have it on their final night in the small town his heat came rolling in, with all the vigour of those he'd forced back medically. By the time there was a loud and demanding, nearly desperate knock on his motel room's door he was already stark naked.

One slip of control – a couple of careless days – and _this_ was the result.

Even without meeting the gaze Spencer felt Dr. Wilson's eyes on him. "I know that this is a lot to take in, but… How do you want to go on from here?"

Spencer couldn't speak. Even a single word. Instead he grabbed a trashcan that'd been mercifully nearby and vomited loudly.

* * *

At two thirty that night Derek Morgan was still very much awake. There was a unreadable look in his eyes while he stared at the window, took in the raindrops crawling lazily down the glass. He inhaled and exhaled, then turned his head.

There beside him on the bed Savannah Hayes slept soundly, a soft and content smile gracing her lips. Clearly whatever she was dreaming of was pleasant. A barely noticeable shiver went across her naked form while her body still tried to process their earlier activities.

This was their seventh night together. And on some distant level Derek realized that this was the point where he had to start making some serious decisions. Savannah hadn't said anything out loud but he knew that she was starting to expect labels. She had, however, expressed a desire to meet his friends and family. Derek wasn't sure if they were quite there yet.

On paper everything seemed perfect. She was beautiful, intelligent and just as passionate about her job as he was. They had similar priorities and they genuinely had a good time together. She was even willing to look past the fact that he was a Alpha, despite the fact that his kind usually had rather disastrous relationships with Betas. She'd promised him that they'd make it work somehow if they really wanted to.

Savannah was willing to accept him for who and what he was – and Derek didn't have the slightest clue of what he was doing. Of course he cared about her, quite a bit. But he couldn't smother the small yet irritating voice in the back of his head that whispered dangerous things.

In the end Derek decided that maybe a glass of cold water was just what he needed. Careful to leave the bed so that her rest wasn't disturbed he got up and stretched. Savannah sighed but didn't stir.

As soon as he made it downstairs Derek downed two glasses of ice cold water. It didn't ease the searing sensation in his throat and chest. It didn't stop him from remembering things that he should've forgotten weeks ago.

Derek was so startled by the unexpected knock on his door that he almost dropped the glass. A frown appeared to his forehead. Who would want to visit at such an hour?

Derek's steps were tense when he approached the door, preparing himself for several things only someone with his job could come up with. Whatever there'd been on his mind faded away at the sight that met him. He blinked twice. The image remained.

"Reid?"

Sure enough, the genius stood there at his door. Drenched wet, shivering, pale and looking like he hadn't slept in days. The younger man swallowed loudly and shifted his weight to another foot, his face a picture of discomfort.

"I, uh…" Spencer took a deep breath, barely daring to meet his eyes. "There's… We need to talk about something."

* * *

TBC?

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A/N: And so we begin. (gulps) It looks like the road ahead won't be easy.

Now… What are your thoughts? Was that any good at all? Please, do let me know. It'd make me insanely happy.

In any case, thank you so much for reading! Who knows, maybe I'll see you again some day…?

Take care!


	2. Territorial Disputes

A/N: So, you all, it's Friday. Which means that it's time to update this newest baby of mine.

First, though…! Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for all you amazing reviews and listings! This story is a bit different from my usual 'CM' ones so it feels really good to know that there are so many of you eager to see this continue.

Awkay, because I have a feeling that you want to move on with the story already… Let's go! I really hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

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Territorial Disputes

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_Four weeks later_

* * *

The past month had been one of the longest in Spencer's life. Especially when he had to face Derek every day. The others were bound to notice that something was off and tried to ask them about it but neither gave them any answers. The cold war between him and a man that was once his best friend was taking its toll on Spencer. The constant pressure over the decision he'd have to make alone and never ending morning sickness weren't exactly helping matters, either.

What he anchored himself on was work.

Their latest case was a kidnapped five-year-old Danielle Harris, whose abduction was quickly connected to the murders of six other little girls. But as it turned out they weren't fast enough to catch the killer first. By the time they found their suspect, Oliver Wesley, from a long ago closed school the man had been brutally murdered and Danielle was still missing. Yet not far. Following the girl's screams with a very subtle camera they discovered that she was in the same building, only two rooms away. Accompanied by a armed man who was identified as James Harvey. He was the father of one of Wesley's victims. And he was intently calling Danielle Bianca while waving his gun around absentmindedly.

"I'll go and try to talk to him", Spencer announced after the situation had been cleared out. Seeing the expressions on the others' faces he tightened his jaw. "Harvey's a Alpha, right? Right now a Omega is the most pacifying option for him. We need him to calm down to be able to talk him out of this." Harvey wouldn't harm him, especially if the man sensed the life inside him. But of course he couldn't blurt that out loud.

Derek stared him with heated eyes that were almost enough to scare him. "Reid. No!"

Aaron Hotchner frowned, clearly hesitant. The man gritted his teeth before finally coming to a decision. "He's armed, possibly dangerous. We'll be monitoring every move."

Spencer nodded sternly. "And I'm wearing my vest." It wasn't fool's proof but it was a start.

Derek cast a wounded, furious look at the unit chief. "Hotch! You can't be serious!"

Aaron sighed. "Reid's right. This is our best option to save Danielle." The man cast a sharp look towards him, clearly not liking the idea any more than Derek did. "Be careful, alright?"

Spencer swallowed, willing his wildly beating heart to slow down, then stepped into the criminal's view. His ears were deaf to Derek's continued snarls of protest. All he saw was the bald, middle aged man with horrified brown eyes. And the five-year-old with even more scared, tear filled blue eyes and messy blond hair. She seemed physically unharmed. Nothing irreversible had taken place yet. The gun held at her head did complicate things, though.

"I'm Spencer and I work with the FBI", he told the tense man, trying to keep his voice calm. He made sure that his hands were visible. "Is it… alright, if we talk for a while?"

James nodded slowly, then gun not lowering but his hand growing more hesitant.

Spencer decided to press on now that he'd seen an opening. "I'm truly sorry about what happened to Bianca", he stated softly and earnestly. "But that girl in front of you… Her name is Danielle. And her real parents are outside, waiting for their little girl to come back to them."

James shook his head with the despair of a drowning man. But his hand was even more unsteady than before. "No…!" came a tormented whimper, crawling out from some deep spot in the tormented man's throat. The sound was heartbreaking. "Please don't take her away again!"

The little girl was crying even more heavily than before, clearly on the verge of screaming. "She's scared", Spencer informed James. "She doesn't understand what's happening and all she wants is to go home." He dared to take a step closer. "Let Danielle go, James. It's what Bianca would want you to do. It's the right thing to do."

James stared at him for the longest time, as though wondering if he was serious. The man's hand trembled so badly that for a moment Spencer was truly afraid. Then it was moving.

Spencer knew that the man was about to drop the gun but somebody else didn't.

There was a flicker of movement, along with shouts that Spencer couldn't hear properly. And one of the police officers standing by had already fired a bullet. It whistled right past Spencer's ear, narrowly missed Danielle's head and found a home from James' chest. From there on it was utter chaos.

James was dead long before he ever hit the ground, dragging a hysterically screaming Danielle down with him. There was blood _everywhere_. A few drops of it traveled down Spencer's ear. It wasn't until then he realized just how close the bullet had come and how much he was hurting. The pain radiating from his ear made him emit a deeply pained, breathless cry while he slammed a hand at the injury.

His yelp didn't go unnoticed. Before he could make a move or emit another sound to stop it Derek had slammed the police officer that fired the disastrous shot down. The look on the larger agent's face spoke murder.

Spencer swallowed. This wouldn't be pretty… "Morgan…!"

Derek wasn't listening. The man's eyes gleamed hazardously while staring into the unfortunate police man's. "What the fucking hell did you think you were doing?! Do you have any idea what you could've done?"

The officer swallowed. "I… I was trying…"

It wasn't fast enough. Or enough anything. Derek's fist slammed at the man's face like a ton of bricks. "SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

That was when Aaron seemed to decide that he'd have to do something. "Morgan, stop! Right now!"

A command from another Alpha was the last thing Derek needed. Both agents' eyes were pure lava when they clashed, something truly dangerous lingering in the air between them. There was no telling what would've happened if Jennifer Jareau hadn't stepped in, hissing orders.

Spencer had seen enough. He recognized a territorial, protective Alpha when he saw one and he really didn't need Derek to pretend that role. He refused to be belittled and objectified like this. So he walked away, ignoring the fact that he could barely stand from the pain throbbing in his ear.

Ignoring the voice calling out his name was harder than it should've been.

* * *

/ _Spencer expected Derek to react to his news in a lot ways. Screaming, shouting… Those were high on his list. He didn't expect the man to shut down completely._

_When the silence had lasted the total of two minutes he swallowed hard, shifting with discomfort. "I, uh… It'd be nice if you'd say something."_

_Derek inhaled a long, loud and deep breath. Then, finally, looked towards him like it'd been a chore. "But… Didn't you… I thought you were on…"_

_Spencer's left eyebrow twitched. And here he'd imagined that one contraception discussion a day was enough. "I was in a heat, Morgan, in case you didn't notice. I… I forgot a couple of pills, I guess, which was stupid and irresponsible. And… Well." They both knew the results already._

_Derek blinked twice, slowly. "When you texted me I thought…" Was the older agent… blushing? "I've… never been with a Omega before. I… guess I imagined that it was supposed to be… like that."_

_Spencer really, honestly couldn't remember texting Derek. It wasn't a impossible thought, though. He hoped that if he'd ever hit another heat he'd have no access to his cell phone. That was hardly relevant at the moment, though. He snorted a bit more bitterly than he'd meant to. "I was waiting for you naked and…" 'Already hard' was something he just couldn't bring himself to say. "Did that seem like my usual behavior?"_

_Derek looked at him wryly. "We'd just caught a killer who hunted men that looked just like you. When we got him he already had a picture of you in his collection. Nothing of that time was exactly usual."_

_They sat in absolute silence for a while. Derek was the one to break it. "So… What are you planning on doing with…" The Alpha nodded towards his still very much flat abdomen. "… that?"_

_Spencer felt his heart drop. His mouth went very dry all of a sudden. "I… was hoping that you'd help me decide."_ It's your child too, you know?

_A helpless, nearly desperate look appeared to Derek's eyes. There was also a sickening amount of fear. "I… If you want to keep the child… I'll always be there, in its life. I'll help in every way I can. But… Reid, I can't be the father. Not now."_

_Spencer felt like someone just poured a bucket of ice cold water on him. Yes, Derek would be there. But as a uncle, nothing more. If he'd go through with this his child would only have one parent._

_The frosty silence had lasted for a remarkable time until Derek finally frowned. "Reid?" One of the man's hands sneaked closer._

_Spencer jumped from his seat like he'd been burned, ignoring the dizzy spell that went through him. His mouth opened until he sensed that they were no longer alone. He turned his head and in a few moments he felt even colder than before._

_A very beautiful woman who'd clearly woken up moments earlier had just appeared to the doorway. She gave Derek a sleepy smile, then glanced towards him with some confusion. "I… didn't know that we had a visitor."_

_Derek cast a pleading look towards him. Spencer felt like someone had torn his heart to pieces although he couldn't understand why. "Sorry if I woke you. I… I was just leaving." It took his all to keep his expression neutral when he looked at Derek. "See you at work." With that he left as fast as he possibly could, disappearing into the rain._

_And although Spencer was on his way home he'd never felt so lost in his life._ /

* * *

Still held back surprisingly firmly by JJ, Derek watched with helpless rage how Spencer walked away without as much as a backwards glance. His heart was thumping so hard that it scared him and it felt like fire was spreading absolutely everywhere into his body. He'd never experienced anything quite so all consuming.

"Derek." JJ's voice managed to pull him back to the present. There was a great deal of understanding, if not a hint of worry, in her steel hard eyes. "Whatever you're thinking right now… Stop. Focus on me and stop. Immediately."

It took Derek a while to understand her demand. That was until the low, very dangerous rumbling sound found its way to his ears. His eyes flew wide and the sound died into his throat.

He'd been… growling.

Clearly seeing that he was returning to his wits JJ took a breath of relief. Some of the firmness faded from her eyes. "Good. Now try to stay with me, okay? Let's get out of here."  
Well, to that Derek agreed happily. He nodded, falling perfectly into step with her. Without saying another word they fled the scene, neither seeing the looks of confusion, startle and disapproval aimed his way.

He already thought that he was safe from interrogations until they made it to a car and JJ spoke. "You do realize that behavior like that won't go unnoticed, don't you? You'll face questions." She glanced his way while taking a turn to the right. "I may be the friendliest face you'll get to talk to."

Derek knew that it would've been sensible to share it all with her. It wasn't like he would've done a horrible crime. Instead he focused on the traffic and gritted his teeth. "I don't want to talk about it right now." Not before talking to Spencer. Before clearing his head. Before overcoming all those infuriating urges that'd taken over his mind and body.

How could a single night lead into such a mess?

* * *

/ _Derek stared with helpless rage how Spencer slipped out of his apartment, so fast that the tall Omega nearly tripped on his own feet. His heart was thumping and he felt like he didn't quite fit into his own skin anymore. So many words dangled on the tip of his tongue but none of them fell out. It would've been too late for them, anyway._

_"Derek?" There was well justified confusion on Savannah's face. "Was that Spencer?"_

_Derek nodded stiffly. At the moment he couldn't make himself meet her eyes. "Yeah. He's…" He swallowed hard. The lie died into his throat._

_"He's pregnant, isn't he?" The question, or perhaps rather statement, came so out of the blue that Derek couldn't help but stare at her. Savannah shrugged. "You did tell me that he's a Omega, remember? And although he may have missed it I saw how his hand moved to protect his stomach when my arrival startled him." She sighed, glancing towards the apartment's door. "I take it his mate wasn't exactly thrilled."_

_"No." There was a bitter taste in Derek's mouth that wouldn't go away. "He wasn't." _

_"No wonder the poor thing seemed so shaken." Savannah didn't ask anything further, for which he was glad. Instead she kissed his shoulder. It didn't make him relax like her touches usually did. "Now come back to bed. We'll have to get up soon."_

_They did return to the bed. But even with her sleeping soundly in his arms Derek didn't manage to find any rest. Not with all the questions, uncertanties, fears and hazardous urges circling around in his head._ /

* * *

Section chief Mateo Cruz sighed while looking away from the very extensive report and focusing on Aaron instead. "Look…", he started slowly, wondering how to proceed. "Your team… It was unheard of from the start. An experiment, really. Never before had two Alphas been allowed into the same team. And adding a Omega… I'd imagine that it was something a lot of people frowned upon."

Aaron nodded, a thoughtful look in his eyes. "Strauss… wasn't pleased with the idea. There was a great risk of it all going horribly wrong. But Reid is exceptional. And Morgan is a very skilled, valuable agent. With Reid on suppressants we've managed to make it work." Which didn't mean that it would've always been easy. He'd long since lost track on how many times he'd clashed with Derek when the younger man's dominant side lifted its head. But most of the time they did work well together.

"Until now", Mateo pointed out. The man's eyes were hard. "If you hadn't interfered there's no telling what agent Morgan would've done to officer Anderson. And if agent Jareau hadn't come between you two there would've been a physical confrontation. So, I'm forced to ask… What the hell happened?"

Aaron's jawline tightened. He thought for a long moment before giving the only honest answer he had. "I don't know." And he hated it.

"Then find out and get it sorted fast. Before there are any further complications." Mateo sighed. "I'm suspending agent Morgan for two weeks, until this matter is handled further. As for you… Consider this a official warning." The section chief's eyes left no room for arguments. "Your team is definitely something exceptional. Get this matter out of the way before it's damaged beyond repair."

* * *

After being checked over by a doctor Spencer really, truly tried to focus on the report that he was forced to write. But it wasn't easy when the new life growing inside him made him want to throw up and his thoughts were running into a million directions all at once. The feel of Derek's eyes glancing towards him every five seconds didn't make concentrating any easier.

Spencer groaned, rubbing his face roughly with one hand. He was in a desperate need of a break. Eventually he hauled himself up and headed off.

When Spencer withdrew to the toilet he wasn't able to do so alone. He was just splashing cold water on his face to force down a wave of sickness when the door opened, then closed again sharply. Tense steps went through the whole space as the arrival checked each booth to make sure that they were alone. Spencer had to work hard not to snort. The sick feeling in the pit of his stomach definitely didn't ease.

So Derek chose _this _as the first time they'd really talk since his big revelation, after weeks of not calling even once, after barely saying a word to him and downright avoiding him?

"What the hell were you thinking?" Derek growled. Sounding so much like a protective Alpha that it worsened the whole situation. "Facing the suspect like that…!"

"What I was thinking of…", Spencer answered through firmly gritted teeth. He was squeezing the sink so hard that his knuckles were white. "… was doing my job."

"You're pregnant!" Derek bellowed back, something almost desperate to that tone. There was loud breathing before the older agent spoke again, much more quietly. "Aren't you? Still?"

For some reason rage flared through Spencer, like that'd been the worst insult he'd ever heard. His eyes flashed. "Yes, I am", he growled dryly, with venom he couldn't fully understand. "I didn't get rid of it."

Derek groaned with visible annoyance, running a hand down his scalp. "Reid, come on. That's not what I…"

But oh, Spencer wasn't done. There was fire in his eyes while they met the older man's. "I appreciate your concern. But you're not my Alpha so stop treating me like one. I'm not made of porcelain. If you really want any part in this… being's life be my friend. Help me or leave me alone and let me handle this." With those words he stormed out of the room, leaving Derek standing there with a expression of sheer frustration.

* * *

Half an hour later Spencer was sitting, or perhaps hiding, in the bureau's break room, gloomily staring at a regrettably full mug of coffee. Oh, how much he would've given for his stomach to be able to handle it! He jumped a little when the door was opened all of a sudden but relaxed upon discovering that it was just Penelope Garcia.

She gave him a small smile. "Hey. I thought you'd gone home already." She then frowned, clearly observing his unhealthily pale face. "Rossi told me what happened at the scene. Are you okay?"

Spencer nodded slowly. Well, he didn't feel like throwing up or starting to scream out loud anymore. Wasn't that something? "Yeah. Just thinking." He wrinkled his nose at the drink before him. "There's something wrong with the coffee."

"Nope, there isn't." There was a knowing look on Penelope's face. "Maybe the little one just doesn't like caffeine."

Spencer's heart took an extra leap when realization flowed through. His hands began to shake while he stared at her with open disbelief. All of a sudden the nausea he'd already defeated was back, with vengeance.

Seeing his obvious distress Penelope took the chair next to his and grabbed his hand. "Hey, it's okay! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." She tried to give him a reassuring look. "Our team's Alphas may be too blinded by testosterone to realize it but I noticed." She glanced towards his entirely too flat belly with a fond look in her eyes. "So we'll be greeting a mini genius soon, huh?"

Spencer stared at his stomach as well. It was still surreal to imagine that there was a actual baby in there. A child with his genes that was and would be entirely dependent on him. Even the thought… "Yeah, I guess", he whispered. And finally, not daring to meet her eyes, he managed to voice the biggest of his worries. "What if… What if I won't know what to do with it? If I'll be a horrible parent?" He didn't exactly have the perfect role models.

To his surprise Penelope chuckled. He was almost insulted until she spoke gently, softly. "Oh, sweetie… Of course you won't know what to do. I've heard that it's a part of the magic. And you'll make mistakes." She squeezed his hand. "But don't doubt yourself for even a second because you'll be a fantastic daddy. That kid is lucky to have you."

Spencer tried to speak but even a sound wouldn't make it through his throat. Moisture filled his eyes, forcing him to blink rapidly, and for the millionth time he cursed the hormones overloading his system. At the moment the only 'thank you' he managed was allowing her to hug him fiercely and returning it. He hoped that it was enough.

Breaking the embrace after what felt like ages Penelope wiped her eyes and grinned at him. "Alright. It's a deal, then. I'm taking you home and I'm going to cook you the best meal you've ever had." Seeing his mouth open she narrowed her eyes. "And no objections. I'll be damned if I don't get some meat on those bones."

At that point Spencer did something he hadn't managed in a long time. He smiled and it came from his heart. Suddenly he felt lighter than he had since that fateful day at the doctor's office. Perhaps this was all going to work out, after all.

It was merciful, really, that he didn't know that the journey only just began.

* * *

TBC

* * *

A/N: Oh yes, there's going to be a long, tough journey before this journey's over…

I've really gotta get going now. It'd be fantastic if you'd leave a note before doing the same. What can I say? Hearing from you makes my day.

Until next time, you all! I really hope that you'll all join in for that one.

Take care!

* * *

**tymbur1**: I'm VERY happy to hear that you feel so! I really hope that you'll be just as pleased with the story to come.

HUGE thank yous for the review!

* * *

**justsaying**: I'm sorry to hear that you find that thing irritating. I've been using those for so long that I barely notice them anymore. I'll try to keep them to the minimum from now on, though.

I'm thrilled to hear that you like the story thus far, though. I really hope that you'll keep finding it captivating.

Thank you so much for the review!


	3. Matters of the Heart

A/N: Oh yes, it's the big updating day! But, of course, before jumping to the chapter…

THANK YOU, so very much, for your absolutely baffling reviews and love for this story! I seriously can't believe how many friends this one has. (BEAMS, and hugs)

Awkay, before I'll end up totally boring you silly… Let's go! I really hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

* * *

Matters of the Heart

* * *

Every BAU-agent had to visit the bureau's psychiatrist on regular basis. Considering the nature of their job and the things they faced that much was wise to ensure the state of their psyche. Along with being suspended Derek was assigned to visit the therapist more frequently. Chief Cruz was quite firm when announcing that he wouldn't be allowed back on active duty until he'd pass the psychological evaluation.

And that was how Dr. Melissa Dunley found Derek from her couch on that particular rainy morning, two weeks and three days after he'd been suspended. The agent looked like he wanted to be anywhere else in the world. She tilted her head and ran a hand through her long, blond hair. Her green eyes narrowed a little behind her glasses, as they always did when she focused particularly hard. "So… How's your week been?"

"Long", Derek bit out honestly. He gritted his teeth so hard that it had to hurt, visibly trying to keep himself together. "I just… I want things to go back to normal."

Melissa nodded. "Have you talked to Spencer?" She wasn't going to let him keep dodging the most obvious problem. His suppressed urges and feelings were what brought him to this point in the first place.

Derek gave her a somewhat heated glare. Then, slowly, seemed to understand. He focused intently on his hands. "A couple of times over the phone but… Well, we didn't really get anywhere." Which most likely meant that his Alpha side took control and messed up everything yet again. "He sounded stressed out."

Sensing his unvoiced question Melissa arched a warning eyebrow. "We've talked about this before. You know perfectly well that I don't talk to you about my other patients."

Derek gave her an apologetic look. "Sorry. I just… I'm worried about him."

"It's only natural that you worry. He's your best friend." She didn't add any other descriptive words because it was something he needed to work out and accept on his own. "On top of that he's an Omega carrying your child. Watching him in that job… It can't be easy." Spencer was her patient as well and she knew exactly how many times the young man had almost lost his life. She couldn't even imagine what kind of a toll living with such fear had to have on Derek although the older man refused to talk about it.

Well, refused until now. Derek's jawline tightened before the man sighed. "Sometimes I just… I wish I could tell him to take it easy without it coming out all wrong. Or to at least leave field work for a while. But I'd imagine that he wouldn't take any advices from me too well right now."

Melissa considered for a moment, then spoke. "Derek… Do you want my honest opinion?"

He gave her a wry look. "Something tells me that I'm going to hear it, whether I like it or not. So just say what's on your mind."

Melissa had to fight back a smile. _These two are going to drive me insane…_ "You need to be honest, with yourself, Spencer and Savannah. For all your sakes. Otherwise you'll end up losing both of them."

There was something nearly desperate in Derek's eyes when he looked at her. "How am I supposed to do that when I have no idea what I want?" Well, that was progress. It was the first time he admitted that much out loud.

Melissa gave him a small, comforting smile. "Think long and hard. Then you'll figure it out. And who knows. Maybe I'll let you out in the field once more when you've processed it all properly."

* * *

Spencer hated to admit it but not having been forced to work with Derek for the past couple of weeks had made things easier. There were no looks that made him feel uncomfortable, no possessive outbursts or constant clipped words. Sure, they'd talked a couple of times but that didn't work out too well when Spencer was still feeling hurt, Derek clearly didn't know what the man wanted and they were both beyond frustrated. It reached a point where Spencer threatened to punch Derek if the man showed his face. Hormones were turning him into something quite terrifying.

Thankfully or unfortunately, depending on which mood he happened to be in, he had Penelope to keep him from going over the brink of insanity. She made him eat at least remotely regularly whenever she could and he didn't have the heart to point out that most of it came right back up. He wouldn't and couldn't share everything with her but she made it clear that there was a listening ear whenever he felt like he needed one. She swore to him that he wouldn't have to face everything about the baby alone. Too bad that she wasn't the one he would've wanted to share the whole experience with.

On that day they had a precious day off and although he tried to tell her that it was much too early she insisted on dragging him shopping for the baby. Even though he was apprehensive her excitement caught him soon. Before he knew it he had far more clothes and toys than one baby should've ever needed. They'd been circling around stores for hours when his eyes suddenly caught something that froze him to the spot.

It was a quite adorable, mint green bunny that was meant for a newborn. Quite plain, really. But for some reason it called out to him like nothing else.

Spencer brushed the toy with his fingertips lightly, almost cautiously. As though he'd feared that it might attack him. Something warm fluttered in his chest and without noticing it he smiled, just a little bit. For the first time since the beginning of the whole disaster he felt genuinely excited when he imagined a baby playing with the bunny. His own baby.

Penelope's hand grabbing his made him jump with startle. She looked at him fondly, clearly understanding. "I take it you're going to buy that one?"

Spencer could only nod.

He'd just paid for the item and they were planning on taking a small break when his cell phone bleeped, announcing that he'd received a text message. Spencer took the item with a frown. He couldn't fight back a shiver when he realized that the message was from Derek.

'_Can we meet at the café where we used to go to? I really want to talk to you._'

Seeing the look on his face Penelope caught on immediately. One of her eyebrows arched and she tensed up a little, clearly protective. "Is it… the father?"

Spencer never told her who the baby's other parent was. Partially because he wanted to sort things out with Derek first, partially because he didn't want to force her into choosing between them. She and Derek had a special bond that he didn't want to damage. He hid his phone quickly. "Yeah", he admitted hoarsely. "He… wants to meet and talk."

"Do you want to see him?" Penelope inquired quietly.

Spencer thought for a long moment. Flashbacks of everything he'd shared with Derek, of all the good moments they had, mixed with the hurt and anger of the past months. He swallowed hard, feeling lost. "I have no idea", he admitted.

* * *

When Derek first sent the message to Spencer he was almost sure that the younger man wouldn't accept the request. Spencer would've certainly had every right to do so after how he'd treated the Omega lately. That's why his heart forgot one valuable beat when the response came.

'_Alright._'

Derek honestly couldn't remember the last time he would've been as nervous as he was while sitting at the café, waiting for his friend to show up. His head created about a million lines with which to start when the other would show up. They all flew away when Spencer appeared and took the opposite side of the small table. The younger man fidgeted with discomfort and Derek found himself doing the same.

As they sat there, both wondering what to say, Derek took the opportunity to examine his friend with his gaze. He didn't like what he saw. Spencer was pale and clearly hadn't slept well in a while. It also worried him that despite all the weeks passed the pregnancy wasn't showing at all.

In the end Derek took a deep breath, then marched on. They'd been dancing around long enough. "Look, Reid…"

"Why, exactly, did you invite me here?" Spencer's eyes were suspicious, perhaps even a little bitter. There was a protective hand pressed against the still quite flat stomach. It wasn't until then the Alpha realized how badly he'd hurt his best friend. "You've already made your point clear. And… And it's okay."

Derek sighed. "No, it isn't. I… got scared and over-reacted." How corny to speak of fear when Spencer was preparing for raising a baby all alone. He looked into the other's eyes, trying to will his friend to understand that he was sincere. "I'm not… I can't just abandon you and our child. I'm better than that."

Spencer groaned, running a hand through his hair. Frustration, cautious hope and fear all lingered in the man's gaze. "Derek, I'm not going to let you be guilt roped into this."

Derek frowned. The Alpha in him was feeling hurt over the Omega showing so little trust but his human side understood far too well. "I'm not doing this out of guilt", he swore. "I… I don't think I'd ever forgive myself if I'd miss out on this. All of this."

"Are you sure?" Spencer's eyes were hard. "Because I don't want to bring you into this baby's life if all you'll do is leave when it gets difficult." Quite understandable. The Omega was clearly determined to provide his – _their_ – baby with the stability he never had as a child.

Derek smiled, just a little bit. "You're my best friend", he pointed out. "Of course I'll be there to help you two out even if we're not mated." And he meant those words, even though deep within his heart he wasn't entirely sure what it was that he wanted. Because even after fourteen weeks the particular night that started this whole mess wouldn't disappear from his head. Nor could he ignore the bizarre, dangerous flutter that'd bee buried into a far corner of his mind much longer. He refused to think about those things because they would've only made a already horribly complicated situation a thousand times worse. All that mattered was that he _couldn't_ lose his best friend, least of all because of this.

It seemed that for the first time in ages he said the right thing. Because some of the shadows disappeared from Spencer's face. The genius nodded slowly, seeming to find something profound hidden in Derek's desperate gaze. For a few moments the air around them felt a little lighter.

That was until Derek's cell phone began to ring. He winced upon discovering that it was Savannah. "Shit…!" he groaned. "I… was supposed to be somewhere twenty minutes ago."

A tight look appeared to Spencer's face. "Then you should probably get going." The Omega began to get up, his already pale face losing some more color all of a sudden. For a few seconds the man remained absolutely still, clearly waiting for some sort of a storm to pass by.

Derek frowned. The Alpha in him was seething with worry and protectiveness. "Are you okay?"

Spencer tried to smile but it came out forced. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just… The little one's being a bit difficult." The man gave him a wave, starting to leave. "See you at work."

Derek nodded. Trying to find words that just wouldn't come out. "See you." Watching Spencer go Derek wondered just what it was that he was missing.

* * *

Savannah had been forced to swallow down a lot during her relationship with Derek. The fact that he was an Alpha being the biggest one. His job, which was the easy part considering that she was just as passionate about hers and they were firmly on the same page over the matter. His trust issues, which really hurt her sometimes. His demands to keep their relationship a secret.

It was the small things that hurt the most, actually. Like waiting for Derek for almost an hour before the man finally dashed into the restaurant, over half an hour after her phone call. She gave him a firm look. "Whatever it is… I don't want to hear it. I…"

"Savannah." The look in his eyes was more than enough to give her the wrong kind of chills. He gulped, looking like a deer caught in the headlight. "It's… We need to talk. About Spencer's baby. You deserve to know something."

* * *

What Derek would never know was that right before Savannah's ill timed phone call Spencer had been about to ask him along for a doctor's appointment. It was the first time he'd catch a glimpse of the baby. Which, he mused, was something most people probably wanted to share with their partner. Well, they weren't exactly partners, anyway.

For a while Spencer toyed with the thought of calling Penelope. Eventually he decided against it. If the other parent of his baby wouldn't be there then he wanted to meet the little one for the first time alone. Besides, despite Derek's earlier words he found it safest to learn to face whatever the baby brought along alone.

The doctor who greeted him was certainly pleasant enough. She was a Beta in her late thirties with long, neatly tied chestnut colored hair and warm deep blue eyes. There was a bright smile on her face that instantly gave him a feel of comfort. "Hello, there. I'm Dr. Nielson. Dr. Wilson handed you to my care when it became clear that you might need me in your… situation." She grinned. "Congratulations."

Spencer's smile was an honest one. "Thank you." He really was becoming a parent, wasn't he? It was still a little surreal.

He was led into a surprisingly homey, spacious office. "I just took a look at your blood test results. You're a little anemic and we may have to do something about that, but otherwise everything seems good." She gave him a swift yet meaningful glance. "We may have to do something about your weight, too."

Spencer groaned. "You're not the first person to tell me that." Seeing her amused, questioning eyes he explained further. "A friend of mine is on a mission to make me eat more. It's not my fault that my body refuses to gain weight." The persistent nausea wasn't exactly helping matters.

Dr. Nielson grinned. "Well I'm glad that there's someone on that mission." She began to prepare her equipment. "So… Why don't you take off your shirt and we'll see what's causing all this fuss."

Feeling infuriatingly self conscious Spencer did as instructed, unwilling to show just how flat his non-existent fourteen weeks old baby bump was. Fortunately the doctor didn't push further. Instead she instructed him to lay on a bed and began the work.

Spencer was surprised to discover that the cool gel she smeared on him didn't feel as unpleasant as he'd expected. He didn't, however, like the device she began to move on his abdomen. His protective instincts kick started and he was about to growl until the doctor's eyes lit up.

"Ah, there!" Dr. Nielson pointed at the screen placed to his right. "See, right there?"

At that very moment the rhythmic, thumping sound reached Spencer's ears. And in flash he realized that he was listening to his baby's heartbeat. He blamed hormones on the tears that filled his eyes. It took almost a full minute before he was composed enough to focus on something else. He gave the doctor a sheepish look. "Sorry about that."

Dr. Nielson gave him a smile of sympathy. "You thought that was bad? You should've seen me when I was expecting my first. So, are you ready to meet the little one?"

Spencer nodded and took a deep, unsteady breath before focusing on the screen. It took a while before his eyes adjusted, registered what he was seeing properly. He frowned and tilted his head. Then saw. And his heart began to leap at a unnatural pace, almost as fast as the baby's.

There it was. Sleeping soundly, looking like it was sucking its tiny thumb. There really was a baby. His child.

At that point Spencer was forced to wipe his cheeks. He'd never experienced anything like the surge that came over him right then. Joy and fear blended together, creating a breathtaking mixture. Despite all his insecurities and worries Spencer came to the conclusion that he'd never felt anything as fantastic in his life.

Dr. Nielson didn't comment on his mini breakdown in any way. She didn't speak at all, really, until he'd gathered himself. "So… We've got a perfectly healthy baby, which seems to have developed quite nicely. It…" And then she fell quiet, her eyes widening.

Horrifying cold took over Spencer. He gulped loudly, trying to conclude all possible reasons to her reaction. He didn't like any of the options. "Is something wrong?"

Dr. Nielson chuckled good naturedly. "I'm sorry if I worried you. It looks like everything's quite fine here. Just watch and listen."

Listen Spencer did. There was a steady, very speedy thumping sound that grew stronger when she moved the device slightly. On the monitor the tiny being shifted slightly, as though shy at the face of such attention. That was when the agent realized. And all of a sudden he was very, very glad that he was laying down.

There, right next to the baby… Was that…? Yes. Definitely. It was flexing and yawning, as though waking up from a nap.

Two babies.

Two heartbeats.

Twins.

Dr. Nielson was talking but Spencer heard none of it. While his mind swam in a state of chaos his body reacted to the revelation of the second baby just like it did to the first one. He grabbed a nearby trashcan as fast as he could and threw up. As he vomited he felt a quite strong urge to kill Derek with his own bare hands.

* * *

TBC

* * *

A/N: Oh boy, double the fun… (sweatdrops) So, our boys finally had a talk. Too bad Savannah had to cut it short. We'll see what's to come because the ride is only about to get bumpier…

PLEASE, do leave a note before you go! I'd LOVE to hear from you guys.

Until next time, ya all! I really hope that I'll see you there.

Take care!

* * *

**tymbur1**: Oh yes, the journey certainly isn't going to be a easy one. I'm thrilled to hear that you've enjoyed the chapters thus far! (beams) Hopefully what's to come meets your expectations.

Monumental thank yous for the review!


	4. Taking Steps

A/N: Phew! It was A CLOSE call but I did manage a timely update. Phew! (sighs happily)

But first, of course… THANK YOU, so, so very much, for all your reviews and love for this story! I can't believe how popular this baby of mine has become. So thank you! (HUGS)

Awkay, because the clock's ticking and I'm eager to get some sleep… Let's go! I really hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

* * *

Taking Steps

* * *

For the first couple of days after the revelation Spencer felt quite eager to strangle Derek. Or to at least swing a nice and satisfying, hard punch because with all the hormones coursing through him he would've been more than capable. His ever analytical head fed him with a million facts and statistics that would in no way help him survive alone with two newborns. Hell, the more he knew the more horrified he felt. But then he… adapted to the idea. Or perhaps he simply went too far into a shock to feel a thing. He hung on desperately to a bubble of oblivion by not telling his team about the pregancy, which was downright silly, and he didn't tell even Penelope about the newest development although a part of him would've wanted to. It was running away in the only way he could manage.

Spencer had no idea what he was doing, why he was reacting the way he did. It didn't hit him until one day he channeled out all of rage and frustration, rendering his home to a hurricane survivor. The answer hit him like a pile of bricks.

How messed up and wrong was it that his head was going through the stages of grief when he was _pregnant_?

In any case after eight very long days he finally reached a honest point of acceptance. He even dared to claim that he managed to find a spark of horror tinged excitement. On that day he spoke to his unborn babies for the first time, while he was all but drooling on a cup of coffee in his kitchen.

"Alright, you two. It's… It's not necessarily good parenting but I'm bargaining with you here", he sighed. With a degree of curiosity he discovered that his hand was rubbing gentle circles on his belly. It felt… quite nice, actually. "Just one cup of coffee. That's all I'm asking. Let me hold that down and I'll treat you with some of auntie Garcia's cookies. Do we have a deal?"

Almost throughout his pregnancy every drop of coffee had led to a episode of violent vomiting. So perhaps it was understandable that Spencer was a bit tense when he took the first, cautious sip. He let the taste swirl on his tongue before swallowing the liquid. After six more sips and five minutes he was finally convinced that it'd stay down. And if it wasn't the best cup of coffee in his life then he didn't know what was.

Spencer didn't know it but he was smiling just a little bit while he stood there, savouring the long longed drink and continuing to rub his stomach.

* * *

Working with Derek again was bizarre, to say the least. The Alpha's protective instincts were still running high but they didn't come out as violent outbursts after a long, loud conversation with Aaron behind closed doors. The air between them wasn't even close to what it once was and they preferred avoiding being left alone with just the two of them. Until one rainy afternoon following a hard case that was no longer an option.

Penelope was the first one to flee, suspiciously dressed up and a slight blush on her cheeks. A date, then, Spencer realized fondly. JJ also left soon after, eager to get to spend the evening with Will and Henry, and Alex Blake was quick to follow. Surprisingly Aaron was the one who left next.

David Rossi smirked while watching the unit chief go. "So Beth's in town." Seeing the others' surprise the senior agent scoffed. "Trust me. Only one thing could've made him run out on work with _that_ gleam in his eyes." With a couple of parting words David fled as well.

It took around ten minutes before Spencer and Derek realized that they were alone. For a while they were painfully aware of each other's presence until a sharp twinge in his stomach claimed Spencer's attention. He frowned and bit back a hiss.

Derek, of course, noticed. Alarm was loud and clear in the Alpha's eyes. "Are you okay?"

Spencer nodded slowly. Well, at least the pain didn't reappear. "Yeah. Just a cramp."

Derek's eyes studied him for a moment until the older man made up his mind. "C'mon." It wasn't the voice of a protective Alpha but of a protective friend. "I'm taking you home. You look ready to fall asleep sitting."

Spencer could count at least fifteen good reasons why he should've declined. But none of them was heavy enough. And so, as though in a trance, he nodded and allowed Derek to lead him away. Neither of them noticed the arm wrapped around him.

They walked on in a relatively comfortable silence. It wasn't until they made it to Derek's car they both froze, unsure what to do. It was sad, really, considering that not too long ago they were best friends who could talk about anything.

In the end Spencer scanned through the other's exhausted face. Then made up his mind. "I know that I'm pregnant. But you look tired, too." He wasn't sure if it was still his place, but… "What's wrong?"

Derek seemed very hesitant for a while and Spencer could almost see the wheels turning. The man looked away, still not starting the car. It took ages before the words came. "Savannah… I told her… everything." The man sighed loudly. "She's been visiting her family since. She told me not to call. That she'd talk when she's ready."

Spencer sighed inwardly. So he wasn't the only one whose life was spinning around. "I'm sorry", he murmured earnestly. Because he really wanted Derek to be happy even though all his Omega instincts would've wanted the Alpha to…

Derek merely nodded, looking away with some embarrassment in his eyes. "Sorry." The older man took a deep breath. "I wasn't supposed to talk about her with you when you've got more than enough on your plate already."

Spencer shrugged. He would've wanted to offer words of comfort but none of them felt honest. So he said nothing.

They sat in absolute silence for the longest moment. Enjoying the soft tapping of rain against the car. For the first time in ages the air between them felt easy, free of all confusion, anger and bottled up emotions.

The torn expression on Derek's face remained, though. In the end Spencer decided to do something about it. He searched through his messenger bag until he found what he'd been looking for. After hesitating for a couple of more seconds he handed it to his friend.

Derek blinked twice. Then accepted the item with a hint of suspicion. "What is this?"

Spencer couldn't resist a tiny smirk. Because finally, finally, he was feeling real, genuine excitement. Even if he was facing the uncertain future with his children alone. "Give it a look and find out."

With obedience one shouldn't expect of an Alpha Derek did as he'd been told. For a while the man stared. Then, very slowly, his eyes widened to a comical size. "It's… a sonogram picture."

Spencer nodded, feeling just a little bit amused. It seemed that confused Derek could be quite adorable. "Yeah." He searched the Alpha's face with his eyes. Suddenly he didn't feel as light as he did before. "It's… Well, it's my babies. Our babies."

It took longer than it should've before the most important part hit Derek. The man stared at him with quite open shock. "Babies? You mean…?"

Spencer nodded again, feeling silly for repeating himself in such a way. Right there he was quite worried that Derek might collapse. "I'm expecting twins", he revealed quietly, as though fearing that someone might overhear.

Derek stared at the sonogram picture. And stared. Drank it in like the man had feared that it'd be stolen from him. And finally a small and shaky yet honest smile appeared while the agent's thumb caressed the picture affectionately.

Spencer watched his friend. Looked at the man who turned his world upside down. Saw all the regret, the joy, the hope, the sheer terror. The Omega was uncertain and confused. Until he wasn't. He licked his lips, surrendering to a nervous habit he'd imagined defeated. "I, uh… I was wondering… Would you like to go somewhere with me?"

Derek glanced up with genuine surprise.

* * *

Derek quite honestly didn't know what to expect while he followed Spencer towards a doctor's office. His human side was trembling with fear and a huge number of other emotions that he couldn't quite recognize just yet. His Alpha side sneered at such weakness.

Spencer cast him a slightly worried, amused look. "You're not going to start hyperventilating, are you? Or pass out on me?"

Derek smirked shakily. "Hey, it's not my stomach that has two babies growing inside it. I'd say that I'm good."

"Excellent save", a mirth filled female voice he'd never before complimented. Turning his head he saw a smiling woman walking towards them from the office. "I'm Dr. Nielson. And you must be…"

"… Morgan, my friend", Spencer filled in hurriedly. Pointedly. It was impossible to read how the Omega felt from the man's eyes.

Dr. Nielson nodded slowly. Understanding seemed to dawn in her eyes. Surprisingly there wasn't a hint of judgement. With another smile she motioned for them to follow. "Well, come in and make yourselves at home so we can get started."

Neither of them noticed that while they entered the office Spencer's hand reached out, pleading soundlessly for support, and Derek grabbed it without any hesitation, their fingers lacing together effortlessly.

They were eventually forced to let go when Spencer had to take off his shirt. Derek felt heat on his own cheeks and Spencer's face carried a hint of crimson while the younger man began to undress awkwardly. Derek turned his head although a very, very large part of him would've liked to keep watching.

He turned back when he heard the sounds of Spencer settling down to the examination table. Dr. Nielson's eyebrow was arched when she glanced towards the Omega's stomach. "Didn't we discuss weight gain weeks ago?"

Spencer groaned, shifting with discomfort. "I'm trying. But the little ones are making it as hard as they can. I thought that the morning sickness was supposed to be over by now."

Dr. Nielson winced with sympathy. Her hands were fast and skilled while she prepared her equipment. "It sounds like you're among those lucky ones who get to enjoy that particular part of the fun longer."

Spencer hummed softly. His hand caressed his for the time being almost completely flat stomach affectionately. "Figures."

Derek frowned, a wave of worry shaking him while his Alpha instincts stirred to life. He had to bite the inner side of his mouth when Spencer shivered as a small device was placed to his abdomen. He wasn't about to ruin everything when Spencer actually gave him the permission to come along.

"We'll just listen to the heartbeats this time to make sure that everything's okay", Dr. Nielson explained to Derek. "As you know Omega pregnancies…" Just then the most beautiful sound that Derek had ever heard filled the room.

A soft, rhythmic thumping, then another. Rapid heartbeats. _His babies'_ heartbeats.

It was impossible to describe with words what came over Derek in that very moment. Those emotions… His head and heart could barely comprehend them. A stinging sensation took over his eyes while he allowed the sound to wash all the way through him.

Spencer seemed to understand. The Omega grinned, his own eyes dangerously close to overflooding. "Amazing, isn't it?"

Derek couldn't speak. Instead he followed his impulses and leaned down, pressing a brief yet tender kiss to Spencer's forehead. He hoped that the gesture held what he was unable to voice.

_Thank you._

For a few moments all their worries and differences floated away. For a few, stolen moments all that existed to them was each other and their unborn children. And all was right in the world.

* * *

It was ten o'clock in the evening when Derek finally made it home. He'd been driving around for hours and hours aimlessly, trying to find answers that just wouldn't come to him. Trying to make impossible decisions. He wasn't sure which one haunted him more during those lonely hours. His children's hearbeats or Spencer's smile.

The Alpha inside him was violently restless and pleading but the human side… couldn't choose quite so easily.

It seemed that fate wasn't planning on making matters any easier on him. Because as soon as he entered his apartment building's hallway he sensed that there was something waiting for him. And he wasn't mistaken. The sight that Derek found made him freeze to the spot.

Savannah was sitting right in front of his door, her eyes filled by a storm of emotions and her hands shaking. She looked up as soon as she heard his steps. The gulp she made when their eyes met was so loud that he heard it. "I… I've been doing a lot of thinking, over all this", she announced, her voice so quiet that he barely heard. "And… We should talk. Properly this time. Like two rational adults."

Derek nodded slowly. It was impossible to tell what made his heart jump the way it did. "I'd be happy to."

* * *

Even for someone born and raised in Las Vegas the heat that wrapped around seventeen weeks pregnant Spencer in a tiny, isolated southern town was unbearable. His delicate condition certainly didn't make the climate any more pleasant. When the third day of investigations finally delivered them the UnSub's name he nearly shouted with joy.

Perhaps the relief and constantly present nausea were why Spencer didn't put up much of a fight when Derek suggested that he'd stay at the station while the rest of them headed along for the arrest. In full honesty all he wanted to do was sleep. The thought of having some chocolate ice-cream didn't sound exactly appalling, either.

But of course in the moment when they imagined that everything was alright fate chose to throw a yet another curve ball at him.

Because the suspect, a forty-five years old man named Edgar Sullivan, wasn't where they'd expected him to be. Instead the man marched right into the station, a chilling gleam in his blue eyes and sweat plastering his shortcut, brown hair to his skin. His pupils were blown wide. There was a gun in his hold and before anyone could do a thing to stop him he was waving it around madly. "Tamara!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. "Where is she? What did you do to her? TAMARA!"

A painfully young, inexperienced male officer with scared brown eyes and hair of the same color was foolish enough to take a step closer to the man. The officer swallowed loudly. "Mr. Sullivan, your wife… I'm sorry, but she's dead."

Tamara Sullivan was the other half of a couple that'd killed six people completely randomly, driven by drugs and sheer bloodlust. Around a day ago the local police caught the first signs of their whereabouts. A firefight ensued, leading to Edgar sneaking away and Tamara dying in the gunfire, just like she'd most likely dreamed.

Edgar stared at the officer with wide, horrifying eyes for the longest time. Clearly trying to see if the man was serious. Then growled. "You assholes…! I swear…!"

The officer took a step backwards. One hand was reaching out towards his gun. "Mr. Sullivan, you really need to calm down now."

"I DON'T WANT TO CALM DOWN!"

For Spencer, who was standing in a far edge of the room, it all seemed to happen in a slowed motion. A single, perfectly aimed gunshot took down the officer. Five more shots rang out, at least three of them finding their desired target. A one more shot hit Edgar himself, fired by a red haired female officer who had a inferno in her green eyes. Spencer never heard it.

He'd honestly imagined that he was as safe as he could be. In a corner from which Edgar couldn't see him. He forgot to count in his luck.

There was a painfully loud, metallic 'bling' when bullet number four hit a stairwell railing right next to him. The bullet's course changed far faster than Spencer would've ever been able to react to it. And suddenly a hellish, searing pain hit his side like a sledgehammer.

Spencer was down before he realized properly what happened, a desperate hand brought protectively to his stomach. He sunk to the floor in his own solitude, only steps away from the chaos yet seen by no one. As darkness swallowed him and he shivered, one hand trying to staunch the bleeding and the other shielding the unborn babies, only one thought echoed in his rapidly shutting down head.

_Derek…!_

* * *

TBC

* * *

A/N: Oh boy… I just couldn't leave it on a light note, now could I? Let's just hope that Reid and the little ones will be okay.

Soooo… Any good, at all? Do drop a line or two to let me know.

Until next time, folks! I really hope that you'll all join in then.

Take care!


	5. Shock Factors

A/N: Ah, it's time to update. (grins) But before letting you dive in to the newest piece…

THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart and soul, for all your reviews and affection for this story! It goes over my head how many friends this one's charmed. (HUGS) You're amazing!

Awkay, because there's no need for you to suffer through any more of my ramblings… Let's go! I really hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

* * *

Shock Factors

* * *

As soon as the team realized that their suspect wasn't in the expected location a very, very dark feeling filled them all. They rushed back to the police station as fast as they could. Only to find it in a state of chaos. A lot of people, bystanders, officers and paramedics, were bustling outside with frantic looks on their faces. Spencer wasn't among them. Derek thought no further. He _ran_.

"Morgan!" someone, most likely Aaron, screamed but he wasn't listening.

So what if the threat was still there! Spencer was there as well. Spencer, who was carrying their unborn twins! He couldn't just…!

The chaos inside the station was even worse than the one raging outside. Paramedics were everywhere and blood stained the floor, creating a sickening, uneven carpet. Derek's eyes darted around desperately, unable to find a familiar face.

Panic squeezed Derek, so hard that it took his breath away. "Reid?" It was nothing but a pathetic wheeze. Of course there was no response. He pushed himself once more and tried again. "SPENCER!" Still no response.

Had Spencer been taken to the hospital already? No, he realized quickly. They would've been informed.

Derek's heart was roaring on beyond all control and a similar thunder was bombarding his head. It wasn't until much, much later he realized why his eyes were blurry when he dashed further into the building, sheer despair driving him. Not even once did he stop calling out Spencer's name.

When he finally found Spencer he almost sped right past the Omega. Once the realization of just what he was seeing washed through he froze so abruptly that his balance nearly broke. He turned his head and felt his breath catch into his throat.

Spencer was hidden to a practically blind corner where no sudden person would've known to look. The genius was barely sitting up as he rested against the wall, his face entirely too pale and eyes practically closed. One of the Omega's hands was pressed weakly against a wound on his side that kept bleeding freely, coloring his shaking, milky white hand. There was a sickening pool of crimson on the floor and staining the younger agent's shirt. It didn't take a lot of reasoning to figure out that Spencer was well on his way to shock.

With a massive load of despair in his eyes and even more of it in his voice Derek turned his head and screamed out loud at anyone who was listening. "Get a medic in here! He… He's been hit!" Then, not wasting another precious second, he sprinted on and crashlanded to his knees beside his friend – beside the man who was carrying his children. His hand trembled when he pressed it down to support Spencer's feeble attempts to stop the bleeding. His heart broke when the other whimpered and tried to withdraw from his touch.

"I… I'm sorry", Derek mananaged in a voice he couldn't recognize. "I know that it hurts. Just… Just look at me, yeah? I'm here, Spencer. I'm right here."

He felt a shudder of stun when all of a sudden Spencer's eyes inched just a little bit open, dazed and swimming with pain but conscious. The younger man gave what sounded like a gasp, then smiled faintly. "… you came …"

Derek smiled although a sharp twinge went through him. _What else did you expect?_ "Yeah, I'm here", he repeated, like those had been the most important words he'd ever uttered. It was a small miracle that his voice actually came out. "So stay with me, okay?"

Their hands, covered in Spencer's blood and joined on the wound, twitched until Spencer's fingers moved. They caressed his and although the contact was light as a feather it sent a rush of pleasant electricity through Derek. That was all the warning Derek got. In the very next second Spencer's hand became slack and the man's eyes rolled back.

Nothing, absolutely nothing, could've matched the surge of sheer terror that filled absolutely all of Derek. He stared at Spencer's unconscious, ashen face. And all he could do was scream. "SPENCER!"

Spencer didn't respond in any way. If Derek hadn't known better he would've claimed that he was watching the Omega's very life seeping out of him. And there was nothing he could do to stop it.

The seconds that followed felt endless. And then everything was happening much too quickly. He was torn away from Spencer with such force and speed that it startled him. He growled as all his protective instincts activated, determined to protect the Omega.

He met the sympathetic face of a young male medic with shortcut, unruly blond hair and playful, albeit at the moment sympathy filled, blue eyes. "I'm sorry that we had to be so rough. But we need to take care of your mate, alright? Will you let us do that?"

For some reason it didn't even cross Derek's mind to correct the man's assumption. Instead he gasped, only then realizing that he'd been holding his breath for a long time. "He… He's pregnant", he barely managed. It was important that these men knew just how much responsibility they had in their hands. "He's pregnant."

The medic that'd been talking to him appeared stunned for a moment, then nodded. "Okay. We'll keep that in mind." The man tried to offer him a small, comforting smile. "We'll look after them, I promise."

It took what felt like decades before they finally had Spencer stable enough to be moved. By the time they began to dash towards the ambulance Derek realized that they had audience. He froze, no matter how hard a part of him was screaming at him to hurry.

The rest of the team, sans Penelope who was safely at home, stood there. All of them had expressions of immense worry and shock on their faces. It didn't take a lot of profiling skills to figure out that they'd heard too much.

"Go", Aaron barked out in the end. "We'll talk about this later." The man's tone left nothing to be questioned.

Derek didn't have to be told twice. He ran after the paramedics and their precious cargo, pushing himself into the ambulance like he'd expected someone to shove him right back out. It wasn't until years later he realized that for the first time in years he was praying.

* * *

Once upon a time, when Aaron announced to Erin Strauss that he'd take another Alpha to the team, a lot of people imagined that he'd finally lost it. Two fiercely dominant people working together on such a job, with one of them in the leading role? It was the perfect setting for a disaster. And oh, how they fought! It wasn't easy for Derek to get used to being led and the younger man questioned Aaron's authority on numerous occasions, quite often without even properly noticing it. But Aaron was fiercely determined and eventually it all began to function. Not smoothly but nonetheless.

And then there was the situation of a Omega entering their team. Aaron himself was in a devoted relationship at the time and after Haley's death… Well, those urges didn't linger anymore. But Derek was a different story. There'd always been a special bond between those two even though neither explored it further and Derek would've most likely denied it fiercely. A small, infuriating voice in the back of Aaron's head had been whispering to him that it might cause problems.

And now, here they were.

Before heading to the hospital Aaron ordered the others to wrap up the case. They weren't happy about it but relented under his fierce tone. Aaron hated leaving them out but he really needed to talk to Derek alone.

Slumped to one of the chairs in the hospital's waiting room Aaron buried his face into his hands and groaned. "I was starting to worry that something like this may have happened when you became even more protective of him than usual." He took a deep breath. It didn't ease the oncoming headache at all. "How, exactly, are you going to handle this?" _If Spencer and the baby make it at all_, a voice in his head he hated filled in.

"We're not mated", Derek stated in a slightly clipped voice. The man couldn't stop casting longing glances towards the room's door. No surprise, since they hadn't heard a word since Spencer was wheeled away into the depths of the building. "But I'll be there for him and the twins."

_Twins?_ Aaron jumped past that stunned thought as quickly as he could. There were more important matters at hand. He sighed. "I really wish that you told me sooner. This might all appear far less scandalous if you had. But that's not important right now." He fixed a hard look on the younger Alpha. "The real question is… How do you imagine that just being there is enough?"

Derek frowned, his posture becoming defensive. "What are you talking about? Of course it's enough. He's my friend."

Aaron seriously fought the urge to smack the man. "Look, Morgan… The moment Reid entered the team you considered him yours, even though you still haven't realized it. Yours to keep and protect. And no matter how much you'd like to think otherwise that still holds true." He kept a pause to make sure that his words sunk in. "So no, you'll never just 'be there'. That's why you need to think, long and hard, what it is that you want to do."

* * *

The moment Derek sent her a message that Spencer had been shot and it looked bad Savannah booked the first available flight to him. Because even if Derek was with her she knew how much Spencer meant to him, especially now that the genius was pregnant. He needed her.

Reaching the hospital Derek adviced via text took infuriatingly long. And sure enough, there he was, right beside Spencer's unconscious form. At first Savannah nearly stepped in, honestly intending to let Derek know that she was there and offer her support. But something froze her to the spot. In a few moments she realized what that something was.

She watched how Derek sat completely still for a while, his thumb caressing soothing circles to the back of the unconscious Omega's hand. The Alpha's eyes were somewhat glassy and full of what looked like nearly spilling tears. He seemed to be shaking, barely visibly but still.

Then Derek inhaled loudly, preparing himself for something, and moved his other hand so that it rested softly on Spencer's stomach. The younger man frowned, clearly sensing the physical contact despite his state, but didn't show a sign that he would've been bothered.

Derek didn't seem to notice. The man's hand pressed ever so slightly to the other's abdomen, as though trying to feel the life growing inside. "I… I'm sorry", Derek whispered in the kind of a voice Savannah had never heard before. "I should've been there, to protect you and your daddy. If I… If I was then maybe…"

The first tear spilled, right there. Derek's trembling became a great deal noticeable while the man bowed his head, his shoulders slumping under surrender. The sobs were quiet and proud but still would've stung even the stoniest of souls.

Savannah could only stare, as though meeting the man she'd shared her bed with for the very first time. Something inside her was swelling and cracking at such speed that it made her dizzy. She could barely breathe.

Only a few days ago they agreed to give each other a second chance. But now… Now she wasn't sure if they ever could. Because Derek was staring at the pregnant, unconscious Omega like the man was his whole damned world.

And Savannah wasn't sure if it was a world she'd ever be a part of.

* * *

Hours upon hours passed by, blurred together. A doctor and several nurses stopped by. As far as Derek was able to find out Spencer shoud be alright eventually, barring any complications. Each medical professional met Derek's further agitated questions with the same empty phrases.

_Only time will tell._

_We'll have to take one hour at a time._

_The first twenty-four hours are critical._

_It's too early to tell._

Well, that was up for debate. Because to Derek it sure as hell wasn't too early to hear whether or not their twins would make it. If he'd lose…

"'rgan?"

The weak, raspy whisper came so unexpectedly that Derek actually jumped. His eyes were wide, full of fool's hope, when he turned his head, a large part of him scared that he wouldn't find what he was hoping for. As it turned out he had no need to fear.

Spencer's eyes weren't fully open and they seemed bleary but they were aware. The genius was awake and moving slightly, the best as pain allowed him to. A great deal of confusion, even fear, could be seen on the younger man's face. "What… What happened?" Oh yes, the panic definitely began to fester there. "Is everyone okay? Are the twins…?"

"Shh…" Derek blinked rapidly to force back the moisture gathering into his eyes. Subconsciously he tightened his hold on the other's hand. "You… You gave us quite a scare. But you'll be okay, I promise." He'd make sure of that. As for the babies… There was no way he could've revealed just how uncertain things still were.

Spencer nodded slowly but didn't seem to calm down a lot. Several emotions swirled on the man's unhealthily pale face. There was also tension that didn't seem right.

Derek frowned, worry seeping through. "Are you in pain? I can ask the nurses…"

Spencer shook his head. "No, don't. Stay." And then the man's eyes widened while a gasp erupted. "Oh…!"

Alright, if Derek wasn't panicking before he sure as hell was right there. "Spencer? What's going on?"

To his surprise Spencer started chuckling. Quietly, grimacing under the ache it caused, but still. "The… The babies… I think I just felt them move." A single tear of overwhelming relief rolled. "They've never done that before."

Derek's heart jumped with such joy he hadn't known existed. "Are you sure?" Instantly his free hand reached out, eager to feel.

Despite the pain he had to be in Spencer smiled at his reaction. "Sorry, but you won't be able to feel it yet. For now you'll just have to take my word for it."

Derek smiled back and nodded resolutely. "I will." His hand was nonetheless pressed against Spencer's stomach in a unfortunately futile, hopelessly belated protective gesture.

For a moment they lingered in the deep, peaceful silence. Still as confused and torn as ever, both of them terrified and one of them badly injured. But still they both basked in the promise of the new revelation.

Perhaps this entire mess would end happily, after all.

Just then there was quiet knock on the room's door. Instinctively Derek shifted so that he was shielding the pregnant Omega. As it turned out the arrival was a doctor. In walked a man in his mid-forties with kind brown eyes and hair of the same color.

Instantly a grin appeared to Spencer's face and the man's pained, tired eyes lit up a little. "Hey. What are you doing here?"

The doctor shrugged and chuckled. "What? I'm not allowed to visit my favorite patient when I hear that he's gotten himself hurt?" It wasn't until then the stranger noticed Derek and smirked sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize that you had company." If the man noticed Derek's Alpha status he didn't let it show. The agent certainly noticed the doctor's and didn't manage to maintain as good of a poker face.

Feeling a wave of possessiveness he had no right for Derek got up and took a couple of deliberately threatening steps closer to the arrival. "I'm Derek Morgan, Reid's friend. And you are…?"

"Gregory Wilson, my doctor and also a friend", Spencer answered for the other Alpha. There was a warning in the Omega's tone and a even louder one in those hazel eyes. "So calm down. He's not a threat." _And I'm in no condition to rip you off of each other's throats_, was unvoiced but stunningly loudly present.

Clearly needing no further permission Gregory approached Spencer's bed, even had the nerve to take the other chair that'd been lingering in the room. Derek watched the whole scene with raging, frustrated and pained eyes. Feeling uncharacteristically lost.

"I'll go and get coffee", he growled in the end, sounding infuriatingly lot like a sulking child. And he'd have to call Savannah as well to ask why she didn't come, after all. "I'll be back in ten minutes." If that wasn't a threat he didn't know what was.

Well, Gregory didn't seem intimidated. The man gave him a brief glance, then seemed to reach a conclusion and focused fully on Spencer. Derek noticed with a great deal of dismay that a lot of the tension that'd filled the Omega seemed to ease.

As Derek walked out of the room, not bearing even the thought of looking back, it took his all not to scream. There was a painful blockage in his throat and a crushing weight on his chest. Unbelievable, really, considering that Spencer was finally conscious.

It was like he was in a game that he couldn't fully understand and was losing quickly.

* * *

TBC

* * *

('Can't remember Gregory Wilson? Take a look at chapter 1.) (grins)

* * *

A/N: Oh boy! And the mess just got… messier. (sweatdrops) So, how will things develop now? And most importantly, will both of the twins make it?

Soooo… Was that a good read? Do let me know! It's always a HUGE pleasure to hear from you.

Until next time, folks! I truly hope that you'll be staying tuned for that one.

Take care!


	6. Two, Four, Three, One

A/N: I was SURE that I wouldn't manage a Friday update this week due to insanely busy schedules but here I am. (grins) Yay?

First things first… Thank you so much for your fantastic reviews? They mean A LOT. (HUGS)

Awkay, because stalling is a rude thing to do… Let's go! I really hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

* * *

Two, Four, Three, One

* * *

Four more weeks passed by. And finally, at twenty-one weeks of pregnancy, Spencer's happy condition was showing just a little bit. Well, to Spencer himself, anyway. From anyone else the tiny bulge was easily disguised by a shirt.

His gunshot wound healed slowly but steadily and his slightly grown, stretched abdomen made the scarring process quite uncomfortable. But he didn't complain. Considering how close he'd come to losing his own life and the babies…

But the biggest change, perhaps, had taken place between him and Derek. They were finally able to talk like two rational adults. It wasn't easy or painless but they worked together and they were about to have twins together. Plus, above all else, they were friends. They had to be able to communicate if they wanted any of those things to work.

Spencer needed to make his life far less Derek centric, though, and he'd found the perfect helper.

On a quiet, pleasant Saturday afternoon he and Gregory Wilson were in his kitchen, preparing what was supposed to be some pasta and sauce. Few people knew that cooking was one of those simple, every day things that Spencer enjoyed immensely. Because unlike most thought he did feed himself. And more than anything else cooking was physics and chemistry. What was there not to love?

Gregory seemed to be enjoying himself, too. The doctor was humming softly while chopping tomatoes at a impressive speed. The man's hands seemed to be dancing in the air while he moved suavely from one tomato to another.

Spencer stared for a while. Then burst into a chuckle, unable to stop himself. "Sorry", he apologized instantly. "I just… I don't know if that's amazing or worrying."

Gregory smirked, not appearing offended in the slightest. The man's hands barely stopped moving. "I'd rather go for amazing", the doctor decided. The physician's head tilted slightly. "You know… It's good to hear you laugh. You don't do that enough."

Spencer blinked with surprise. He hadn't even realized it but at some point he'd, indeed, stopped laughing and smiling almost entirely. Instead he'd felt heavy and… weary for reasons that had nothing to do with his injury or pregnancy. "I've… had a lot on my mind, I guess." He didn't have to elaborate. He'd told Gregory so much about Derek that it embarrassed him.

Gregory watched him for a while. There was nothing judgemental in the Alpha's eyes. Only deep understanding. "I… was in a messy relationship for a while, too. Years ago. It can be very draining." The doctor's eyes strayed subtly towards his stomach. "And let's face it. Your situation is pretty complicated."

Spencer smirked. Despite the heavy topic he felt lighter than in ages. "Well, I've never known how to do things the easy way round."

All of a sudden, completely without a warning, Gregory pressed a tiny, chaste kiss to his lips. It could've passed as nothing but a trick of over active imagination and pregnancy hormones if the taste hadn't been left lingering. Spencer licked his lips, his heart thudding hard.

Cinnamon and tea.

Gregory shrugged at his stunned expression. The Alpha appeared a little cocky and adorably embarrassed at the same time. "You looked like you needed it."

Spencer didn't know if it was just the hormones raging in his body. Or if he was making a massive mistake, a mess of things. But he also wasn't able to control himself. He leaned forward and pressed a similar kiss to Gregory's warm and soft, surprised lips. The other man's sharp exhale filled his mouth, making pleasant chills go through him.

Once the kiss was over Spencer's heart was racing and there was a tingling sensation everywhere in his body. He felt his cheeks gain color when his eyes met Gregory's, took in the other's dilated pupils. "You… looked like you need it, too." Good grief, he was horrible at this… relationship stuff! But if the Alpha's wide, satisfied grin was anything to go by he hadn't screwed up too badly.

With that they went back to cooking and this time they were both humming.

* * *

A few days later Derek came home from a case, frustrated and exhausted to the bone. They managed to catch their UnSub but they lost the sick monster's latest victim, a twenty-two years old college student who'd been hanging on in the psychopath's hands for a week, only to be killed ten minutes before they found her. Yet somehow the worst part managed to be when they came back and he called Spencer to make sure that everything was okay. The Omega finished the call as fast as possible. It didn't take a lot of profiling skills to figure out why.

Apparently Spencer wasn't alone.

For any Alpha it was excruciatingly painful to watch someone who carried their children fall into the arms of another. But Derek never expected it to _hurt_ the way that it did, enough to take his breath away. So when he finally made it home he was forced to admit that he was in a need of some comfort.

The only one waiting for him, however, was Clooney.

Derek looked around in the dark apartment, alarm swelling inside. "Savannah?" Had she been called to work?

He searched until he sauntered to the kitchen and found a note waiting for him. The handwriting was Savannah's familiar one but full of hesitation marks. His heart ached a little when he saw clear signs of tears. Right there he knew what to expect even before slumping down and reading the first words.

'_Derek,_

_I've had a lot of time to think lately, so I'm doing this now before you make me change my mind again._

_I've been trying to have this conversation with you for weeks now. But you never stay in the same room with me long enough. I've been waiting and waiting but the more I reach out the further away you run. Maybe it's because you've come to the same realization as I have._

_I love you, deeply. And I know for a fact that you're a great man. Your big heart was what made me fall for you in the first place. But that heart isn't mine to have._

_Since the beginning, even before the whole pregnancy thing, I've known that there's someone else in your heart. For a while I thought that we'd both fit, that as time went by I'd manage to win you over completely. But the bond you have with Spencer is deeper than anyone, including you, could ever realize._

_He's your mate, even if you're not officially mated, and there's no way I could ever compete with something like that._

_So I'm doing the only thing that I can. I withdraw while there's still something left of my heart and dignity. I hope that one day you'll be able to admit your feelings to yourself and be truly happy, as who and what you really are. I know I will be._

_I love you, but I also love myself too much to waste my life on living a lie with you. You should stop living a lie, too. Before it's too late._

_With much love and best wishes,_

_Savannah_'

Derek stared at the letter with wide, glazed over eyes. The words of raw emotion and brutal honesty swimming before his eyes. And then he did something he hadn't done in years. He broke down into loud, hard sobs.

He wept over the loss of a woman he'd truly loved, or at least imagined he did.

He wept over the pain his blindness had brought on several people.

He wept over the years he'd – _they'd_ – lost.

He wept over the future he may have, in fact, lost.

And finally, when the inner wounds had been cleansed, he wept over relief.

Because at that moment he finally understood what his therapist had been trying to make him understand. What his heart had been trying to scream out since the moment his eyes first met Spencer's. It was inevitable, breathtaking, amazing and terrifying all at once. It felt incredibly right and wrong at the same time.

And the worst part was that he didn't know if he was too late.

* * *

Another week flew by. The nausea continued and Spencer still had some healing to do but he felt his body growing stronger every day. Going back to work wasn't an option but otherwise he tried to live as normally as possible.

Spencer had just come home from a grocery store and was putting his purchases into place when his cell phone began to ring. He grinned at the caller ID. "Aren't you supposed to be working?"

"_Haven't I already told you that you're my favorite patient?_" Gregory sounded amused but there was also something else hiding in the tone. There was a brief pause. "_Besides, I'm on my lunch break._"

Spencer's eyebrow arched. Something pleasantly warm fluttered in his chest. "Don't lie to a profiler", he admonished gently. Although admittedly it felt… nice, that someone cared like this.

"_I'm not that good of a liar, am I?_" Gregory chuckled. There was another pause, just a little bit more tense than the earlier one. "_Actually… There was something I've been meaning to ask you._" Did the doctor just gulp? "_How would you feel about going out for a dinner with me today?_"

Spencer's heart jumped and his mouth opened wide, shock and a bizarre tingling filling him. But before he got the chance to answer a sharp, breathtaking surge of pain coursed through him, radiating from the bottom of his stomach to everywhere else. And that was when he became acutely aware of the red stain on his pants.

"_Spencer?_" Gregory sounded worried. "_Are you okay?_"

_NO!_ Spencer swallowed hard, a searing sensation taking over his eyes. "I… I'll call you later, okay?" With that he hung up.

Spencer followed his instincts from there. He began to head towards the hospital. But before that he sent a one more text message and wondered if it was his Omega or human side that wanted to do it.

* * *

Hours later Derek was driving Penelope home. They were both deep in thought and exhausted by the case they'd just closed. But still it became clear that there was something wrong with her that had nothing to do with the case.

Derek frowned, glancing towards his friend. "What's wrong, baby girl? You've said barely a word since we left the bureau."

Penelope remained quiet for a few more seconds before speaking. "Look… I've kept my mouth shut for as long as I could, but… I can't do it anymore." She glared at him. Actually glared. "I love you to bits. You do know that, right? But sometimes you can be a real idiot."

Derek stared at her, which wasn't a very smart move, considering that he was driving. Then unleashed a chuckle. "What brought that on?"

"I know, okay? About Reid. Who the… other parent is." Penelope sighed heavily. "I've watched you dating all those women. But now… Now it's gotta stop." Before he could interrupt she looked at him and asked frankly. "Are you or are you not in love with Reid?"

Derek remained silent for a remarkably long time. Mulled over the storm blowing inside him. "I… It doesn't matter anymore", he murmured in the end.

"Of course it does! The Derek Morgan I know wouldn't give up like this." That was when they reached Penelope's apartment building. She gave him a chaste kiss to the cheek. "I may love you to bits. But if you hurt him any further than this I'll punch you." With that she left.

Derek didn't know how long he sat there, absolutely still and his head in a state of chaos. For some reason the first thing he did was check his cell phone, which he'd forgotten to a silent mode. There was a text message from Spencer waiting for him. His heart stopped for a second when he read it.

'_On my way to a hospital, something's wrong with the twins. Please come._'

And all of a sudden Derek knew exactly what he wanted to do, at least for now.

* * *

Spencer didn't know what he was thinking when he sent Derek the text. Chances were that he wasn't thinking at all. All he knew was that he was in pain, scared out of his mind and needed the Alpha that bred his children beside him.

And, regardless of that crap that'd piled up, he needed his best friend beside him.

He was rushed through a whirlwind of tests, poking, nurses and doctors. It was scary, painful, frustrating and humiliating in a way he'd never experienced before. All the while he felt alone and unsafe. It infuriated him because he knew perfectly that the feeling didn't belong to his human side. The Omega in him wanted desperately to go back to his nest, to the familiar surroundings with the twins safely inside him.

He was just about to snarl as much to the young, timid nurse trying to re-open an I.V. line when something caught his attention. A scent. His Omega instincts activated instantly and his head jerked to the side at such speed that he was lucky to not break his neck.

There was an Alpha approaching the room.

Spencer's heart wasn't entirely sure if it wanted to break into a thousand little pieces or swell with joy. Because it wasn't the Alpha he'd expected to see. Gregory burst in, appearing flushed and quite openly terrified. "I saw your name on the patient list and…" The man swallowed, suddenly a bit embarrassed with him and the nurse staring at him. "Are you… alright?"

Spencer groaned, trying to find a more comfortable position. With the medication that'd been given to him the cramps had lessened but they were still frequent and painful. He really, honestly didn't want to know if he was still bleeding. "That's what I'd like to know", he grumbled, sounding like a moody child.

At that point the nurse finally seemed to realize that her presence wasn't exactly appreciated. She muttered something neither of them was able to comprehend, then fled the room. As soon as she'd left Gregory chuckled. "What the hell did you do to her?"

Spencer grinned just a little, despite the horrid situation. "Actually… I think it was you. She seemed afraid of having an Alpha snarling at her."

Gregory shrugged. Somewhere along the way the man's hand had slipped into his, subtly and smoothly. "Nah, I wouldn't have snarled at her. Maybe… lectured sternly, if she'd hurt you. And then had her fired."

Almost free of his will Spencer's hand squeezed Gregory's, demanding and trying to transit something he couldn't quite understand. He just knew that he felt insecure, afraid, vulnerable and pained. And having Gregory there felt good.

Halfway on his way under because of the medication Spencer murmured something unintelligeable, his eyelids drooping until they closed. The last thing he felt before sleep claimed him was a feather light kiss, pressed to his forehead. The cramps had finally stopped.

Spencer couldn't have been asleep for long until he woke up to hushed hissing. "… fell asleep ten minutes ago. He needs rest."

"He asked me to come here", a very, very familiar voice growled back. Positively murderous. "He's carrying my twins. So don't you dare fucking tell me that I don't have the right to be here!"

"Like you've been there so far?"

That stung Spencer. And it must've been a devastating blow to Derek. But… Not exactly untrue, was it?

Derek was definitely growling, right there. It was only a matter of time before it'd escalate to a physical attack. "Don't… make… me hurt you!" the older agent hissed. Firmly in a protective Alpha mode. "This is _my_ family! So if anyone should get the fuck out that's you!"

Alright, Spencer had enough. Far faster than would've been wise he opened his eyes and pushed himself to a sitting position, firmly forcing back a tidal wave of nausea. "Shut… up, both of you!" he all but bellowed, his eyes narrowing with rage. His hands were shaking with fury while he balled them. "I want you both here, I really do!" And good grief, it was hard to admit for someone who'd relied solely on his own help for pretty much all his life. "But right now… Right now I need you both to get out."

Derek's lips opened. Gregory stepped forward. "Spence…"

"No!" he snarled, shaking his head. His heart was pouding furiously. "I'm not… All my life, I've been trying to prove that I'm more than just an Omega. That I'm a independent person who doesn't need someone to dominate him." He had to pause for a moment to catch his breath. "I'M NOT SOMEBODY'S PROPERTY! And I'm not a toy. So take your pissing contest elsewhere. RIGHT NOW!"

Derek swallowed. Spencer had never seen the man appear quite so insecure. "Reid…!"

Spencer glared at the Alpha. Showing a side of him that no one had known existed. "That wasn't a suggestion."

With a visible amount of reluctance the Alphas departed, yapping at each other the entire way. Spencer waited until he could be sure that the room's door was closed. And then, only then, he dared to let a few tears escape.

Around an hour later – or perhaps more, because minutes blurred together – there was a slightly hesitant knock on the door. In a few moments Dr. Nielson peered in, a small smile of sympathy on her face. "I heard that you put on quite a show. Is it safe to come in, now?"

Spencer felt color rising to his cheeks while he nodded. "Yeah. Sorry, I wasn't…"

Dr. Nielson nodded. "I know, trust me. The hormones can be a royal pain." She then frowned, carting in a device he knew very well. "So… Rumor has it that you've had it quite rough. How are the cramps?"

Spencer shrugged. All of a sudden a ton's weight settled on his chest. "They're… not so harsh anymore. That's a good sign, right?"

"Let's hope so." She started the preparations. "Now… Let's see what's going on."

Spencer was painfully tense and practically held his breath while the device kept gliding over his stomach. It certainly didn't ease when he saw the look that appeared to Nielson's face. "Look, Spencer…" She trailed off.

Not that she would've needed to continue. Because at that very moment Spencer heard it, too. Or rather, _didn't _hear.

There was only one heartbeat.

* * *

TBC

* * *

A/N: I know, I know. (winces) So, so many of you wanted both of the twins to be okay. But… Well. Hopefully things will get better from here, though!

Soooo… Thoughts? Comments? PLEASE, do let me know!

I've reeeeeeally gotta dash (and naaaaaah, my business has nothing to do with that end-twist…), so until next time, you all! I really hope that you'll stay tuned for that one.

Take care!

* * *

**Mikesh**: Let's hope so indeed! (sighs)

(grins) I was wondering if anyone would catch the name-game! Dang, I adore that show. (sighs)

Colossal thank yous for the review!


	7. Hormones and Realizations

A/N: First of all, I'M SO SORRY that it took me a couple of days longer than expected! I've been fluish and ran into some problems of my own making with so I wasn't able to update until now. Hopefully this chapter makes up for the delay…?

First, though! THANK YOU, so much, for all your AMAZING reviews! It means to world to me that this story's gotten so many friends. (HUGS)

Awkay, because I've already kept you waiting too long… Let's go! I really hope that this turns out worth the wait.

* * *

Hormones and Realizations

* * *

When Derek first heard that Spencer was pregnant he, much to his shame, was sure that he'd never be an actual father to their child. That there was no way he could ever be a parent. That he'd never be any good at it or even want such a thing.

But then a bullet hit Spencer and he realized that the single gunshot could've very well stolen away his entire world.

Sadly, it did tear away a piece of his world. When Derek heard that one of the twins had died he felt sick to his stomach, gutted, torn. Yet he didn't let any of it show. For two weeks he kept the pain at bay, pretended that nothing was wrong. Which wasn't easy when the team knew the truth and seemed to have a ton of questions.

Eventually, however, Derek reached his breaking point. And there was only one person he could think of calling. "_Derek?_" Of course his mother understood. "_Derek, honey? What's wrong?_"

The sound of her comforting, familiar voice was what did it. Derek broke down into loud, painful sobs that echoed from the bottom of his heart and soul. "He… He lost her, momma!" he barely managed. "He lost her!"

"_What? Who are you talking about?_" His mother sounded borderline frantic and he couldn't blame her. "_Honey, what in the world are you talking about?_"

Over the next two hours he finally told her everything. From the start. The good and the bad.

* * *

Spencer knew, all too well, that it was unhealthy to cling to the pain. But still, almost two weeks after Dr. Nielson revealed that there was only one heartbeat, he found himself standing by the doorway of the nursery that he'd decorated with Penelope's help. It was full of toys, necessities, light and promise. It didn't seem right to him.

There was still two of everything and there, on the best spot, was a sonogram picture with two babies clearly visible.

He'd been meaning to get rid of the extra equipment, he really had. But every single time he got to the work something in him rose to rebel. He couldn't bring himself to let go. In general Spencer didn't quite know how to handle the loss. He hadn't cried even once, instead it seemed like he'd locked himself on some level. There was only a bottomless fear and a sense of failure.

The baby that survived clearly missed the lost one, too. The former soft thuds in his stomach had turned into such kicks that had him convinced his ribs or organs would be damaged sooner or later. The baby was also moving around constantly. According to Dr. Nielson it was a good sign but Spencer didn't dare to be sure about anything anymore.

Spencer sighed when the squirming in his stomach intensified, bringing a hand to the slight swell. "I'm sorry, little one", he murmured, trying not to notice how his voice cracked. "It's just the two of us, now."

Spencer blinked with surprise when there was a sudden knock on his door. Gregory wasn't supposed to be back from a conference for another day and he knew that Penelope was busy on that particular day. So who…?

The face he found when opening the door belonged to JJ. There was a smile of support on her face. "Hey, stranger."

Spencer felt a clear thud of guilt. His team had done their best to support him after his loss but he'd been too emotionally strained to really appreciate their efforts. "Hey." He cleared his throat. "I'm… sorry, that I haven't called."

JJ shook her head. "No need to apologize, Spence. Trust me." She rubbed her hands together. "Now, put on a jacket. I'm taking you out for a drive."

The drive was quite long but Spencer didn't mind. The companionable silence and JJ's familiar presence were almost enough to lull Spencer into sleep. Eventually they ended up into a small but very beautiful forest opening that had a river running past it.

JJ took a deep, shuddering breath. "When… When I lost my second baby… This is where I came to say goodbye properly." She wiped her eyes. "I wasn't able to bury the baby properly, but… I planted a tree, and left a stone with a name."

Spencer shivered. For a long time he didn't have the slightest clue what to say. "Did it help?" he whispered in the end.

With a soft look in her eyes JJ offered him a seed. "Why don't you see for yourself?" she suggested gently.

Spencer replied with accepting the seed, unable to utter another word. With that he began to search for the perfect stone. About twenty minutes later he finally found it. It was small and heart shaped, scrubbed almost smooth and white by the river. Battered by its environment but still amazingly beautiful. He exchanged a nod with JJ, then began one of the hardest things he'd ever done.

Spencer's hands were shaking so badly that he was barely able to function while he dug a tiny hole to the ground, then planted the seed and buried it. Left it alone into the cold, dark ground. It was impossible to ignore how wrong and horrible it felt. His heart was tearing apart in his chest but at the same time a bizarre sensation of peace was seeping in.

He jumped when a hand was laid to his shoulder, already having forgotten that he wasn't alone. JJ gave him a small, encouraging smile although her eyes didn't seem entirely dry. "Good. It'll look beautiful when it grows."

Spencer nodded because, really, what words would've done any good?

They remained in almost perfect silence for a while until Spencer remembered the second part of his task. His hand was still far from steady when he reached into his pocket but at the moment such a trivial detail didn't matter. He was doing this for the sake of his daughter. He held the stone he'd chosen and, with a pen JJ borrowed him, wrote a name on its smooth surface.

_Diandra_

JJ swallowed hard. He didn't check to see if tears were falling because such would've felt like intruding. "That's a beautiful name", she complimented quietly. "I'm sure that she loves it."

Spencer kept his silence, staring at the stone and the recently closed hole on the ground. Honestly, he wasn't fully sure what he believed in. If he believed in a higher power. But he did want to believe that his daughter was more than just a piece of memory.

They stood there for the longest time, their hands joined while they sought comfort from one another, and for the first time since the loss Spencer felt the weight on his chest ease a little.

Once they made it back to his apartment JJ helped him move the second set of baby equipment to a storage. Even in the sea of pain and emotions it caused Spencer had enough presence of mind to insist that he'd keep the sonogram picture. Wherever she was, he didn't want Diandra to imagine even for a second that he'd ever forget about her.

* * *

The following week passed by in a blur. Over the course of those hazy days Spencer cried more than ever in his entire life. While it was incredibly frustrating and awfully embarrassing a part of him was also relieved because he knew what it meant. He was finally starting to really deal with the loss.

Only feeling one tiny beginning of a human being where there was supposed to be two was a gaping wound that would never fully close.

But he didn't have to go through it alone. The team was working on a case but by some miracle Penelope still managed to find the time to drop by every single day. Sometimes with gifts for the unborn baby, other times with food.

Spencer found a smile tickling the corners of his lips while he watched his friend cooking. "You do know that I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself, right? And I can cook."

Penelope gave him a far from impressed look. "Twenty-five weeks and I can barely tell that you're pregnant. So don't go telling me that you're a Ramsay descendant, sweetie."

Spencer was about to voice a counter argument when he felt a particularly strong shift in his stomach. Yes, definitely a kick. He blinked with surprise, bringing a almost cautious, more than a little scared hand to his stomach.

The little one had been atypically active all day but this was new…

"Reid? Spencer?" He finally snapped out of it when Penelope was standing right in front of him, peering into his eyes with intense worry. "Are you okay?"

Spencer gulped and nodded slowly, still lingering in the feel of movement. It felt good to experience those little kicks and backflips. Really, really good. "Yeah, just… The baby's in a perky mood." He wiped his eyes, then gave her a wavering, watery half smile. "Sorry."

"Hey, no apologies." All of a sudden Penelope was hugging him. And he, to his stun, welcomed it eagerly, melted into the embrace. "What you had to go through… It sucks. But there's still a bundle of joy inside of you, very much alive and growing every day. And in about fifteen weeks you'll make a brilliant dad. Trust me."

Spencer's chuckle wasn't exactly free of tears but he didn't mind. "Who do I trust if not you?" he choked a little weakly.

"You've got that right. And boy wonder?" Penelope's hold on him tightened a little. "Never, ever scare us like that again. The next time you take a bullet to your skin I'll smack you."

Spencer wished that he would've been able to produce an apology of some sort. Instead all that came out was another borderline hysterical chuckle. Which made him cry and laugh all at once.

_… these hormones! …_

All of a sudden Penelope shuddered. "Oh…!" slipped out before she could stop it. It was impossible to tell if she was overjoyed, startled or shocked. Maybe a little bit of all.

Every single muscle in Spencer's body stiffened instantly. All possible horror scenarios flooded into his head. "What is it?"

"Your son or daughter… just kicked me." Did Penelope actually wipe away tears? "I… I'm not sure if that's horribly rude or adorable."

They both lapsed into a bout of hysterical chuckles, there.

About fifteen minutes later Spencer's cell phone buzzed, announcing that he just received a new text message. He gave it a look. What he didn't notice was the grin that appeared as soon as he discovered that the message was from Gregory.

'_I'm officially going to kill half of the hospital board if I don't get out of here soon. Save my day and tell me that you'll have dinner with me tonight._'

"Someone looks happy", Penelope pointed out, peering at him from the kitchen with a smirk of her own.

Spencer felt heat appearing to his cheeks while he cleared his throat. "It's, uh… It's Greg. He'd want to take me out for a dinner tonight."

"How about in half an hour?" She shrugged at his scandalized expression. "What? I'm cooking enough lasagna for a small army and he's hungry."

Spencer shifted. He wasn't entirely sure how to feel about all this. "Look, Garcia, we're not…"

"I know you're not", she reassured him with a new smile. "But if someone makes you smile like that I consider them my friends, too. Besides, I'm curious to meet this mystery doctor of yours."

Spencer was powerless against a smile of his own. He knew how much Derek meant to Penelope and realized that this couldn't be easy on her. The fact that she was willing to do this for him… "Thank you." And he meant it, from the bottom of his heart.

Penelope waved a hand, disappearing into the kitchen. "Don't thank me yet. You haven't seen the interrogation I'm planning on putting him through."

Along with the baby butterflies danced in the pit of Spencer's stomach while he typed his response.

'_Penelope's invaded my kitchen. But she said that there's enough food for you, too. If you feel up to it…?_'

Gregory's answer was almost instant. '_Am I going to need a full body armor?_'

A very embarrassing giggle left Spencer. '_Most likely yes._'

'_I'll bring flowers and a white flag._'

* * *

A few more days later Derek, who was just heading towards the bureau's break room for some coffee, had to blink twice before he believed his eyes. No, he wasn't mistaken. Spencer was actually there, walking towards Aaron's office.

Their eyes met. Spencer shivered and seemed to consider running away. Instead the younger man made his way to him slowly, hesitantly. "I… My doctor recommended that I won't work for the rest of the pregnancy. I was just about to bring the papers to Hotch."

Derek frowned, his stomach knotting. This was his best friend and baby in question, after all. "Are you two okay?"

Spencer nodded stiffly, then darted a pleading look towards the general direction of the break room. _In private, please?_ Derek couldn't bring himself to deny his friend.

During the following twenty minutes they both drank a cup of coffee. Derek was able to fish out that yes, at least physically Spencer was getting better. The twin that survived was growing exactly as was to be expected, unlike Spencer's belly. The topic of Gregory was avoided like plague. Derek didn't want to hear just how big of a role the rival Alpha played in the Omega's life.

Derek was just about to leave, muttering something about a case calling, when he was interrupted. "Morgan, wait." There was a degree of urgency in Spencer's eyes. The genius took a deep breath. "Look, I… I'm sorry that I've been… away. I know that the baby… She was yours, too. I'm sorry that I didn't… talk it through with you."

Derek didn't quite know what to say. "It's okay", he settled for in the end. He licked his lips. "But… It would've been nice, to know that you're okay."

Spencer met his eyes and considered for a moment before letting the words fall. "I'm not okay." And it was the most honest thing they'd said to each other in months. The man's hand shook with long suppressed emotions while it gestured towards the small bulge of his stomach. "This, what happened… It's _not _okay. I wasn't supposed to…" Spencer gasped like a drowning man, his whole body starting to tremble. "I… I lost her. I failed you."

Finally it dawned on Derek. Why Spencer had been avoiding him. Why there was a ton of guilt in those eyes.

Losing a child is a trauma for anyone. Let alone an Omega. It didn't strike Derek until now just how deep the wound went.

It took only two long strides to reach Spencer. He didn't like the way the Omega shuddered when he touched the man's cheek. "Hey, don't you dare talk like that…! What happened… It wasn't your fault. We had bad luck, is all." _The understatement of the year…_

Spencer seemed a little hopeful. But not convinced. "I wasn't a good Omega", Spencer whispered, and it was definitely his Omega side taking over. Because the man Derek had known would've never sounded or looked like that.

Derek's eyes flashed while he leaned closer. "You… are Spencer Reid", he breathed out huskily. "And you could never, ever be damaged in my eyes." With that he brought their lips together.

Instantly the fire took over them both and the kiss gained a almost terrifying amount of passion. It felt very, very good to have the Omega and their baby right there in his arms. Within his reach. To have every single one of his five senses full of Spencer.

The warm, soft skin and lips.

That irresistible taste.

The soft moans.

And dear gosh, those eyes…!

Derek let his hand brush Spencer's hair and instantly the Omega leaned eagerly to his touch. A shudder of sheer pleasure went through the Alpha and at that moment he did something that came very naturally to him. He gave a low, brief growl of satisfaction.

And instantly the magic was broken.

At first Spencer stiffened. Then, before he had the time to realize what was happening, the younger man slipped away from him, to what the Omega most likely considered a safe distance. There was pain and frustration in those eyes that were just filled by lust, satisfaction and excitement. "Morgan, stop. Just… Just stop." The brunet gulped thickly and blinked rapidly although no moisture was visible yet. "What… What you're doing right now… It's just the Alpha instincts talking, alright? Your hormones reacting to the presence of an Omega that's carrying your child. Nothing more. So… So stop. I'm not letting you do something that you don't really want."

Derek frowned. Irration was rising, making his tone unnecessarily sharp. "But I _do_ want this!"

Spencer shook his head. The grief on his face was almost palpable. "If it wasn't for the hormones you wouldn't even look at me twice, especially now that I've…" The man's hand wasn't steady when it brushed his stomach subconsciously. "And it's… It's okay. We're friends and if the rest of this mess goes well soon we'll be raising a child together. It's more than enough. I don't… We can't ruin that. Especially now."

Staring at Spencer's suddenly moist eyes, at the suddenly very open secrets hiding in them, Derek finally understood. The realization hit him like a bullet, stole all air from his lungs. He could actually feel how color drained from his face. "You're in love with me."

Because now that it stared at him right in the face it was all very clear and very simple. The way Spencer confided in him, looked at him, reacted to his touches… The Omega had been in love with him for years. How the hell didn't he notice it before?!

Spencer shuddered like he'd been struck. The man's teary eyes were full of terror but the voice, albeit quiet, was firm. "I… I don't know what I am anymore", the Omega breathed out, appearing very exhausted all of a sudden. The brunet ran a frustrated hand through his hair, then wiped his cheeks. "Maybe it's just the hormones for me, too." So fast that there was no hope of stopping him the younger man withdrew towards the door. "Bye." And with that the pregnant Omega was gone.

Derek stared at the closed door, a hurricane of thoughts blowing in his head. Trembling, to the very core of his being. Stared, trying to bring sense into a impossible situation. He never noticed that his own eyes weren't exactly dry, either.

Spencer… Spencer was in love with him. In love, but fighting with every fibre of his being to move on from it. It was either a tragedy or bitter irony that it wasn't until now, when it was quite possibly too late, Derek came to a realization of his own.

Maybe, just maybe, he was in love, too.

* * *

TBC

* * *

A/N: Oh my gosh, those two are in a deep mess…! (sighs)

Soooo… What are your thoughts? Was that any good at all? PLEASE, do let me know. The box down below is calling out to you…

I've reeeeeeeally gotta go now. Until next time, you all! I really hope that I'll see you then.

Take care!

* * *

**tymbur1**: You can't even imagine how warm and fuzzy your kind words made me feel! (BEAMS, and hugs) I'm really happy that the story thus far has pleased you so. Hopefully you'll enjoy what's to come as well.

Gigantic thank yous for the review!


	8. Three Makes a Crowd

A/N: See? We're back to Friday updates. Hooray?

BUT, before getting to the business… THANK YOU, a thousand tims over, for your absolutely fantastic reviews and support. They mean a lot to me! (HUGS)

Now… I'm sure that you'd like to get on with the story. Soooo, let's rock! I really hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

* * *

Three Makes a Crowd

* * *

Thirty weeks pregnant. Even the thought felt surreal to Spencer. He and the baby had managed to hang on for thirty weeks. Only ten more and he'd have the little one in his arms. Terrifying, really. Or no. _Beyond_ terrifying.

The past few weeks had been rather tiring. The baby was growing more and more active with each passing day, as though determined to explore every little bit of the tiny space there was for the time being. According to Gregory and Dr. Nielson that was a good sign. Spencer just hoped that all his bones and organs would survive. He was also starting to show just a little more. Still not even nearly the way most people did when they were as far along but too much for it to be really hidden by a shirt.

It also seemed that Spencer was getting to know his unborn child. If the kick-voting was anything to go by the little one shared Derek's taste in music and Spencer's adoration for coffee. The baby seemed to relax whenever he settled down to read a book, for which the daddy to be was very happy. The child was also clearly an early riser, always waking up before six o'clock in the morning. And a massive friend of chocolate cake.

Despite still being scared half to death Spencer already loved the unborn child from the bottom of his heart. He just didn't enjoy being pregnant all that much. And he definitely didn't like the doctor's visits his happy condition required.

Spencer was tapping impatiently with his foot, anxiously waiting for Dr. Nielson to invite him in, when his cell-phone bleeped, announcing a new text message. A small grin appeared to his face when he noticed who it was from. It widened when he spotted a picture of two cuddling kittens, followed by a few, quick words from Gregory.

'_In a hurry but I wanted to wish you luck. 'Can't wait to be home tonight. Breakfast tomorrow?_'

It was quite impossible to ignore the flutter in the pit of Spencer's stomach. He bit lower lip, the smile remaining, then wrote his answer. '_Only if there's chocolate cake and coffee involved._'

Gregory's response made it hard to hold back a chuckle. '_As you wish, M'lord. See you at eight._'

'_It's a date._' Spencer's finger jumped with startle over what he'd typed. In the end he didn't delete the last word. '_Have a safe flight._'

Putting away his cell-phone Spencer suddenly became aware of a new sound. Was someone… sobbing? He turned his gaze to see a woman in her early forties with shoulder length blonde hair she obviously hadn't washed that day. Her rather small frame was trembling while she cried, her face buried into her hands. Looking further although he didn't mean to he saw the document she was holding. Spontaneous miscarriadge at twelve weeks.

True to his nature Spencer couldn't stay quiet in the face of someone else's pain. He licked his lips before half whispering. "I'm… sorry. I know how you feel." It still hurt, after weeks and weeks. He didn't know if it'd ever stop.

The woman glared at him, red and puffy brown eyes full of such venom that made him regret ever opening his mouth. "You… You think you know?" she spat with a cutting amount of bitterness, looking at the small swell of his stomach with a chilling gaze. "This is the _eighth _baby that I've lost! And you… a fucking Omega… You should deserve the chance to…?" Her eyes narrowed while she prepared for the final blow. "So you lost one, too, huh? Maybe nature took away your baby to spare it from having something like you for a parent." She gestured heatedly towards his abdomen, tears continuing to roll. "It's enough that you'll fuck up this one's life."

Spencer felt like someone had poured a bucket of ice water on him and stabbed him simultaneously. He was fairly sure that his body actually shuddered. The agony that surged struck him breathless.

That was his worst fear, right there. That he didn't deserve… That he'd…

What if she was right?

Five minutes later Dr. Nielson peered out of her office and frowned. Spencer was usually very early. Now the hallway was empty, sans the still crying woman.

* * *

Derek was just finishing up some paperwork for a case the team had closed mere hours earlier and felt his eyes drooping. Running around after a sadistic killer with minimum rest for four days was taking its toll. The still very much complicated situation with Spencer certainly wasn't improving his state of mind.

So now he knew that he loved the genius. But so far he hadn't been able to figure out what to do about it. Should he press on it now, of all times, when Spencer was already confused and at his most vulnerable? How was he even supposed to convince the genius of his feelings? '_So yeah, I did some soul searching and suddenly I realized that I've been in love with you all this time_' didn't sound very believable even to him.

Fate, however, has the funny habit of taking matters into its own hands sometimes.

When Derek's cell-phone rang and he noticed that the call came from a unfamiliar number he almost didn't pick up. Then, after giving it a moment's thought, he changed his mind. "Morgan."

"_It's Gregory._" Well, hearing that voice certainly didn't lessen his desire to hang up instantly and the doctor didn't sound any happier. But something about that tone caught his attention. "_It's… Spencer's missing. We were supposed to have breakfast together but when I came to his apartment the door was open and he wasn't there. He didn't take his phone, keys or wallet._"

Usually the idea of Spencer having a date with someone else would've _hurt_. But at the moment there were far more pressing matters at hand. "Any signs of a struggle?"

"_No. But it looks like he left in a hurry, upset about something._" Gregory emitted a deep, shuddering sigh. "_Usually I wouldn't call you, but…_"

"I'll find him", Derek announced, interrupting the other, then hung up to avoid wasting any more precious time. His heart was racing madly and sheer terror turned his entire body frigid.

"Morgan?" There was a frown and alarm on JJ's face while she looked at him. "What's wrong?"

"Reid's missing." And finally Derek regained his ability to move. Deciding that any amount of paperwork was irrelevant at the moment he gathered his belongins. "I've gotta go." With that he was heading towards the door, ignoring the fact that he could barely stand.

"Wait!" There was a degree of hesitation in JJ's eyes but she went on anyhow. "I… may know where he is."

* * *

When JJ parked, announcing with a strange look on her face that the place he was looking for was two minutes' walk to the right, Derek was at first a little surprised when she didn't join him. He didn't question it too much at the moment, though. He had far more important things to focus on.

What he found was a extremely beautiful forest opening. It took longer than it should've before he noticed the lonely, trembling figure sitting on the ground. Spencer's hair was wet from the pouring rain and despite his height the man seemed so small that it was heartbreaking. Derek gulped loudly but the lump in his throat remained.

"Spencer?" There was no point in hiding behind surnames in a moment like that. His chest tightened with worry when he didn't receive any reaction. "Spencer, are you… okay?" What a stupid question. Wasn't it blatantly obvious that the genius was about as far from okay as one could possibly be?

Derek approached cautiously, mostly because he didn't want to startle the clearly strained Omega. Upon walking closer he was able to detect some even more worrying details. Such as the glazed over look in those tormented eyes. Like how pale Spencer was. And, which was perhaps the most troubling bit, the bluish hint on the quivering lips.

"Hey", Derek called out as loudly as he dared to, kneeling to the Omega's side. Finally it seemed that his approach was noticed. A pitiably small hint of relief, at least. "Have you been sitting here all night?"

Spencer blinked twice, slowly. The hand that moved a strayed strand of drenched hair from the genius' forehead wasn't steady. "Is it morning already?"

Derek nodded. Alright, that was it. He was officially beginning to panic. "Yeah, it is." He licked his lips, frantically trying to decide what to do next. "When's the last time you ate?" Well, perhaps not the most acute issue but surely better than just kneeling there mutely?

Spencer shrugged. It was obvious that the younger man's attention was entirely elsewhere. Feeling a hint of curiosity aside sheer terror Derek shifted his gaze towards the direction the Omega was staring. If his heart wouldn't have been breaking already it was definitely smashed, there.

Seeing the stone with a name 'Diandra' written on it, he found it quite easy to guess what it stood for. It struck him like a bullet and he actually gasped a ragged breath, his eyes growing misty for something other than rainwater. None of this was right.

This was his daughter. _Their _daughter. Their child.

"I… I would've been a good parent for her." Spencer's voice was so quiet that it almost got swallowed by the rain. Quiet and full of so many emotions that it was impossible to name them all. "Or… I would've tried, for her."

Derek swallowed thickly. Without thinking about the action for even a second he planted a small, soft kiss to the top of Spencer's head. At the moment he didn't care to notice that not all moisture running down his cheeks was cool rainwater. "I know. So does she", he murmured, unable to keep his voice from breaking a little. His hand was possessive, protective and tender at the same time while he brushed the slight swell of the Omega's stomach. "And you'll get to be a parent, soon."

When Spencer nodded wordlessly it was impossible to tell if the man believed him or not. What Derek did know, though, was that the genius was exhausted and most definitely freezing. He couldn't help with the heartache they were both trying to deal with but he could try to fix the physical discomfort.

Moving deliberately slowly, giving Spencer all the time in the world to express if the younger man felt uncomfortable with anything he did, Derek moved so that he was sitting behind the Omega. In a fluid motion he took off his jacket and draped it around the shivering man, in the end letting his arms follow suit. Despite the horrible circumstances it felt very right to have Spencer there in his arms.

And so they sat there, grieving the loss of their unborn daughter together, trying to will the rain to pass by.

* * *

JJ was already sick with worry and fully ready to burst into the memoair spot, after all, when she noticed something that froze her hand to the car's door handle. Derek walked out of the forest with a alarmingly limp Spencer in his arms. Despite the rain it was easy to tell that the older man had been crying.

JJ's heart jumped with alarm. Instantly she rushed out of the vehicle, opening the back door for the couple. "Is he okay? Does he need to go to a hospital?" she demanded, fear sharpening her tone.

Derek didn't seem to notice, though. The Alpha shook his head stiffly, fully focused on sitting down so that it brought the smallest possible amount of discomfort on both the Omega and the baby growing inside. "It'd only make him stress out more, especially when he was just able to fall asleep. But he's freezing. We need to get him inside, fast."

JJ looked at the older agent. And all of a sudden her eyes opened up to see that something had changed in the way Derek was looking at and holding Spencer. Despite the far from pleasant circumstances the realization made her want to smile, just a little.

"Okay", she murmured. Fully aware that neither man was listening. "Let's get you two home."

* * *

Having a rival Alpha in the same room with an Omega that was carrying his child was the last thing Derek wanted. But he had to think about Spencer's well being and although hospital treatment wasn't needed he did know that a doctor should check up on the younger man. And he knew one doctor that Spencer seemed to trust. That's why he called Gregory although all of him screamed against it, even endured watching the physician touching the Omega.

After a, in Derek's opinion at least, much too long examination Gregory finally breathed in deep and looked at him. "He's exhausted, hasn't been eating enough and his blood pressure is a bit too high." The man's hand brushed Spencer's hair and Derek felt a vicious stab of jealousy when the sleeping Omega leaned to the touch. "Right now he needs rest and proper nutrition. This familiar, comforting environment may do a lot of good." Gregory gave him a hard look. "But if his condition detoriorates in any way he needs to be taken to a hospital."

Derek nodded resolutely, taking a possessive step forward. "I'll take care of him", he bit out. _So get the hell out._

"You'd better because you haven't been doing a very good job at that until now", Gregory growled back. And to Derek's stun the other Alpha indeed began to take off, although it was clear that it was the last thing the man wanted to do. "Call me an update every few hours or I'll come and check up on him myself."

Derek stared at the departing man with a clearly visible amount of stun. "That's it?" he blurted out. "You'll just leave?"

Gregory gave him a long, pointed look. There was a palpable amount of pain in those eyes. "Yeah, for now. Because I care about him enough to know that right now he doesn't need this drama." The sound of the door closing was like a judge's hammer.

* * *

Spencer had no idea how long he'd been sleeping. In the end he woke up to the feeling of pleasant warmth and the alluring scent of coffee. He yawned and stretched, wincing at how stiff his muscles felt, and tried to get his mind on track.

What happened…?

When he tried to get up a hand appeared to hold him back. "Easy, now. You've been sleeping for sixteen hours."

Spencer turned his head. And could've sworn that for a few seconds his heart actually stopped. Because there, resting on the bed next to him, was Derek. Looking almost like the two of them being close like this was the most natural thing in the world.

Was he still dreaming?

Spencer blinked, not quite sure what to make of the sight. "'rgan? What…?"

Derek frowned. The man's hand was gentle when it tried his forehead and he had to struggle not to lean against it. "You still have a bit of fever but it doesn't seem serious." The Alpha's eyes searched through his. "How are you feeling?"

Spencer thought about it for a moment, listening to his gradually awakening body. "Okay, I guess", he mumbled. Maybe only physically but wasn't that a start? "A bit tired."

Derek nodded, appearing satisfied with the answer. Well, almost. "We _will _talk about what you were doing there in the forest, in pouring rain. But not yet." The older man began to push himself up. "Right now I'm going to get some food stuffed into you."

Derek wasn't fully sure what happened. One moment he was getting up, planning on fetching Spencer some coffee and a light breakfast. The very next moment he felt a stunningly determined hand grabbing his.

Derek looked down at the Omega with a genuinely surprised look on his face. "Reid? Are you…?" Before he could finish his question the other guided his hand to the pregnant belly.

It took a few seconds before Derek felt it. And when he did he couldn't believe that he didn't notice sooner. Kicks. Somersaults, really. They were clearly palpable to his hand and he couldn't even imagine how intense they felt to Spencer.

Derek emitted a more than a little teary chuckle before he could stop it. "Holy…!" He looked towards the younger man, his eyes wide and most likely full of things that he would've usually been too embarrassed to show. "Is it… Is it always like this?"

"The baby's pretty active." Spencer didn't seem a whole lot less emotional than he felt. The man wiped his cheeks swiftly and subtly with his free hand. "But this… This feels different. The good kind of different." The Omega gave a small yet fond little smile. Appearing just about ready to drift back to sleep. "You've got this one wrapped around your little finger from the start."

Derek had officially never felt anything quite so amazing. The man he loved within his reach. Their baby moving around underneath his hand. Perhaps it was all hormones but in that very moment it was very hard to keep the emotions from taking over.

Caught up in the moment Derek leaned closer and whispered in a voice be barely recognized. "Listen to me good, now. Because you can be a bit of an idiot for a genius sometimes." He held a small pause, savouring how the baby seemed to aim all those small movements towards his hand. Like reaching out for him. "You… You'll be a great dad, I swear. Take a look at how hard and bravely you've fought already." A smile made its way to his lips while he swallowed around the blockage building up in his throat. "You think this baby's going to be a papa's sweetheart? Maybe you haven't noticed, but… I don't know anyone who would've known you and not loved you." And that was the about closest to a confession he could possibly come. His hand rubbed tender, soothing circles right above where the baby was still moving around wildly, in his or her way attempting to communicate with him. Derek's smile widened. "It's going to be okay."

It wasn't until then it struck Derek how quiet Spencer was. Worried, he lifted his gaze. Apparently somewhere in the middle of his monologue, or perhaps even before that, Spencer had fallen asleep. Derek wasn't sure if the realization was more frustrating or heartwarming. Nor did he have long to try and figure out. Because something else claimed his attention.

There, curled quite comfortably against him, Spencer was purring in his sleep.

Derek could only stare, baffled. He'd never heard that sound before. During the night they… well, had the twins kick started they were so full of lust, hormones and excitement that they didn't spend any time on the aftermath. To have Spencer like this, right next to him, audibly content and still somehow managing to trust him… It was a dream come true.

Derek followed the Omega to sleep with a very happy grin on his face.

* * *

From there on Spencer's recovery progressed well. So well, in fact, that four days after first waking up he announced quite colorfully that if his blood pressure would be monitored even once more he'd smash the device with his own bare hands. And in the end, with the support of Penelope, JJ and two over-protective Alphas, he more or less happily reached the thirty-second week of pregnancy.

That evening Spencer stood before a mirror, staring at his reflection with a frown. Despite his best efforts his hair was still a bit of a mess and he was too pale to his own liking. His swollen belly, no matter how good of a reason there was for it to be that way, didn't help him feel attractive, either. The purple shirt and black pants Penelope helped him find did flatter his form, though. He ran a hand through his hair once more to notice that the limb trembled.

He was acting like a teenager but perhaps that was acceptable, since this would be his first proper, official date… ever.

In the end he took a deep, not quite steady breath and nodded at his reflection. "Okay, then. Time to get going."

Spencer made it all the way to the apartment's door and opened it. Only to end up face to face with the about last visitor he would've expected on that evening. "Derek?" He was too stunned to notice that he was using the man's first name. "Weren't you… supposed to be working on a case?" This was _not_ how he wanted his best friend to find out…!"

"Yeah, and you were supposed to be resting", Derek snapped. The man's eyes scanned him through from head to toe. "You look nice." It came out a lot more bitterly than the Alpha had probably meant. "Gregory's lucky."

Spencer groaned. "Morgan… Please don't do this."

Derek gritted his teeth. And then, out of the blue, the words exploded out. "Well I'm sorry if I'm not happy to see the man I love heading out for a date with someone else!"

Spencer stared at the older agent, his eyes full of disbelief and his blood rushing on at such speed that its echo in his ears was deafening.

Not too long ago he would've given almost anything to hear those words. But now… Now he had one Alpha waiting for him at a restaurant, another standing right before him, staring at him with demanding eyes, and a baby squirming furiously in his stomach. And he didn't have the slightest idea which of the urges thundering in his body he should've followed.

Derek's Adam's apple bobbed. The Alpha appeared absolutely terrified. "I, uh… It'd be nice, if you said something."

Spencer tried to, he really did. But all words faded away from his mind. Along with everything else, to a point where consciousness fled and everything turned black.

'_Spencer…!_'

* * *

TBC

* * *

A/N: Oh boy! That… Would've been a bit funny, if it wasn't so worrying. The poor thing, ending up into a love triangle aside all else.

Sooo… How was that? Good bad, luke warm? You know how to let me know.

I've gotta get going, now. Until next time! I really hope that I'll see you all then.

Take care!

* * *

**tymbur1**: I'd say! Oh, what a roller-coaster those poor things are in. It's a good thing that Spencer is beginning to deal with the tragic loss. And even Derek's starting to see the light! We'll see what's up ahead next.

HUGE thank yous for the fantastic review! I really hope that you'll enjoy what's to come as much.

* * *

**Guest**: Heh, they're finally realizing something that we've known all along. (grins) Let's just hope that they'll manage to talk it all through soon.

Massive thank yous for the review!


	9. Four Awakenings and a Departure

A/N: I'm so, so sorry for making you wait a bit longer than usual! The idea of this chapter was solid in my head but it took AGES to actually get it written down. (winces)

THANK YOU, so much, for all your amazing reviews, listings and support! They mean more to me than you could ever imagine. (HUGS)

Awkay, because I've already kept you waiting too long… Let's go! I really hope that this turns out worth all the waiting.

* * *

Four Awakenings and a Departure

* * *

Awareness came to Spencer slowly and with quite a bit of effort. The first sense to return was taste. He wrinkled his nose at the horrible taste sitting in his mouth and at the very same moment his whole consciousness was overflooded by the horrible sterile reek of a hospital. He groaned quietly, shifting ever so slightly, and wasn't pleased to discover how sore his muscles were.

For a while worry squeezed his chest like a ton's weight until the movements in his stomach began. The baby was roaming around furiously, as though expressing his or her displeasure over the Omega having been asleep for so long. The ensuing relief was breathtaking.

The little one was clearly a fighter, all the way from the start.

It took ages before his eyes finally opened halfway. He might've even fallen back asleep somewhere in the middle of the process. But eventually he was able to see a lot of white, along with shadows and blurry outlines.

Then, his head lolling to side out of exhaustion, he discovered Derek sleeping on a chair that'd been dragged directly to his bedside.

Right there it all came rushing back. The almost-date. Derek's sudden arrival. And – _oh no…!_ – those words.

Spencer's heartbeat picked up while panic spun madly. His head and heart both processed furiously but couldn't come up with a solution. His whole system seemed to be stuck on one thought.

_Derek stayed. Derek stayed. Derek STAYED._

In the end Spencer decided to usher his focus elsewhere to spare his system from another overload. His eyes, exhausted and hazy as they were, scanned through his best friend carefully. Derek had clearly been up for quite a while. There were dark circles around the Alpha's eyes and quite a bit of wrinkles on his clothes. One of the man's hands was resting on the bed's railing and it took a lot of Spencer not to reach out towards it.

Derek needed rest and he needed a moment to try and sort out his head.

Just then the room's door opened. One of Spencer's hands flew to his stomach while his eyes darted towards the disturbance. In walked a young nurse with brown eyes, almost black shortcut hair and a warm smile. "Well look who's up." She nodded towards Derek. "Do you want me to wake him?"

The thought was incredibly tempting. But in the end Spencer shook his head the best as he could. The Alpha needed sleep and he needed answers. "The baby?"

"The baby's perfectly fine. Very active and healthy." The nurse sighed. "It's you we've been worrying about. Upon arrival your blood-pressure was alarmingly high and you were anemic. We've managed to get those pretty well under control but we'll have to monitor you closely for a while."

Spencer nodded the best as his shock allowed him to. Of course he'd known from the beginning that his pregnancy was a high-risk one, but… He took a deep breath, calming himself. Wasn't stressing out what got him into this mess in the first place, after all?

"I know that you're tired so I'll let you get some rest soon. But first I need to ask you a couple of questions." She took a piece of paper and wrote down. "Have you had any other symptoms aside dizziness lately? Abdominal pains, changes in vision, headaches, nausea, shortness of breath…?"

"I've had headaches, but… That's not a new problem." Spencer ran the list through his head. "But otherwise, I suppose not. Even the morning sickness is finally over."

The nurse smiled. "Okay." After making notes she focused on him once more. "It sounds like this is all about stress and anemia but like I said we'll be monitoring you closely for a bit, just to be safe." She began to take her leave. "Now rest. And if you can try to relax."

Fighting off the exhaustion for just a little bit longer Spencer turned his gaze towards Derek. The older man wasn't anywhere close to waking up but appeared calmer somehow. As though instinctively knowing that Spencer and their baby were alright.

Spencer fell asleep before he could explore the emotional surge that thought caused.

* * *

The second time Spencer woke up Penelope was bustling around the room, arranging what looked like an invasion of stuffed animals. He stared in a state of utter stun for a while, then found himself melting into a smile. They did make the room appear a lot more bearable.

He wasn't sure which one of them was startled further when Penelope turned around, jumping slightly at the sight of him awake. "Oh…!" After recovering for a few moments she was on her way to him. "How are you feeling, sweetie?"

Spencer listened to his body for a moment. "Stiff, a bit sore. I shouldn't be this tired after how long I must've slept." He looked around the room. "Where's Morgan? I could've sworn that he was here the last time I woke up."

Penelope smiled. "I ushered him home to eat and get some proper rest. I had a feeling that you might appreciate a breather from Alphas."

Spencer nodded, feeling a wave of gratitude. Truth be told she was right. He needed to _think_ and he couldn't do it properly in the hormonal storm the presence of an Alpha brings to a pregnant Omega. He rubbed his face with one hand, trying to wake up properly.

"Are you hungry?" Penelope inquired suddenly. Seeing his stunned expression she shrugged. "You've been sleeping for the past couple of days and you're definitely skinny enough as it is. So we'll eat. And then we'll talk about that frown on your face."

As it turned out Penelope had some Chinese for them because she didn't want him exposing his baby to hospital food. They ate in a relaxed atmosphere. And somewhere along the way Spencer blurted out that he was planning on taking a vacation to Las Vegas.

Spencer pondered for a moment before continuing, feeling very insecure all of a sudden. He focused intently on the leftovers. "I've… been meaning to go and see mom before the baby is born. But… I've been postponing it for some reason. And then… Well." After losing Diandra he hadn't really felt like doing anything for a while. He took a deep breath. It was surprisingly steady. "I think I'll finally go on ahead, when I'm discharged."

Of course leaving the safety of his home – his nest – while he was pregnant was a terrifying idea. But he was going to see his mother and he was going to a city that had excellent hospitals. It wasn't a home but it was a safe haven. For a while. Until he'd finally figured out what, exactly, it was that he wanted.

Penelope gave him a few moments. "That might be a good idea", she stated a little carefully. "The stress free environment may do you a lot of good." Her eyes then narrowed, just a little. "But don't even think about having that bundle of joy so far away from me, do you hear? And I'm expecting a daily update."

Spencer chuckled. It came out freely and easily. "I wouldn't dare to leave if I wasn't able to give you that much."

The silence that followed was peaceful but thoughtful. For a while Spencer wondered what, exactly, the following weeks would bring. If he was about to make a huge mistake. But then, for once in his life, he decided to silence his head and just relax completely.

So, instead, he glanced hopefully towards the dessert box sitting nearby. He could actually feel his mouth watering. "Is that a pineapple muffin?"

Penelope smirked. On the spur of the moment she ruffled his hair affectionately. "Are you kidding me? I wouldn't dare to visit you without one."

Spencer grinned, already starting to devour the treat. It tasted every bit as good as he'd hoped. "You _are_ a genius."

"Did you ever imagine otherwise?"

* * *

The third time Spencer woke up he could practically feel something… not quite right in the room's air. Forcing his eyes open far faster than he would've been ready for it he had to wait for a good while before his eyes regained focus. And then Derek's face came to view.

Despite the fact that he was barely coherent realization came to Spencer stunningly quickly. He shifted with discomfort. "Garcia told you."

Derek nodded stiffly. "She… said that it's something that you need. I just… I'm angry, although I have no right to be."

Spencer stiffened. This conversation wasn't about to be pleasant. "You're right. You don't." Although a tiny portion of him did understand. To have an Omega that was pregnant with his child leaving an Alpha behind, no matter how temporarily…

Derek nodded. The man didn't dare to speak for several moments. "I… It's good, to see you finally awake." The Alpha didn't seem to quite know what he wanted to say or how to squeeze it out. "I need you to take a better care of yourself."

Despite all the confusion, still heavily lingering hurt and insecurities Spencer found it hard to fight back a smile. This was the friend he'd missed. Or at least a hint of what they used to be. But, he mused with a hint of bitterness, they'd never be able to go back to what they used to be now, would they? He nodded scarcely visibly, wishing that he had enough breath for words.

And then, as though shot from a cannon, Derek was on his way out of the room. The door was already closing between them when Spencer finally found his voice. "What you said, before I passed out… Did you mean it?" _Do you really love me?_

Derek's lips opened but in the end the door closed faster, leaving Spencer dreaming of 'what ifs'.

* * *

The fourth time Spencer woke up it was to someone moving a strand of hair away from his forehead. He sighed and wrinkled his nose, leaning subconsciously closer to the touch. "… 'ive mor' minutes…"

Someone chuckled good naturedly. "Sorry, sleepyhead. I wasn't supposed to wake you", Gregory's familiar voice half whispered. "Just go back to sleep. You need the rest."

But Spencer wasn't about to go back to sleep. Because he'd been resting far too much lately. And there was a talk they really needed to have. He inhaled deeply, taking in the Alpha's comforting scent, then forced his eyes open.

Gregory was smiling at him but there was an immense amount of exhaustion on the man's face. "You're far too stubborn to follow any instructions, aren't you? I should've known."

Spencer grinned and shook his head. He managed to clear his mind a little with rubbing his face roughly with one hand. "I've slept too much."

"Well, you have been asleep every single time I've come to see you so far." Gregory's fingers were soft but firm as they monitored his pulse. It felt… very nice, actually. "I was starting to think that you were doing it on purpose."

Spencer smiled, leaning closer without noticing it. His eyelids were drooping but there were things that needed to be said. "Sorry", he murmured around a yawn. "For ruining the date."

Gregory grinned back. "You do realize that it was hardly your fault, don't you? So stop worrying so much. You're supposed to try and relax."

And that was it, the perfect opening. Spencer stiffened, wondering how to set his words for a very long moment. "I know." It was barely more than a whisper. "And… That's why I have to go, for a while. Alone."

At first Gregory looked at him with a degree of well-justified confusion. Then, with a clearly visible spark of ache, it dawned. "Oh." The man processed for a moment, looking for the words. "Are you… sure that it's a good idea? What if something happens…?"

Spencer tried to smile although he was aching, too. _… these hormones! …_ "I'm not going to isolate myself from the world. I just… I'll to Vegas. I need to be away, for a while. For myself and the baby."

It was quiet until Gregory nodded slowly, testing the thought. "I understand, you know?" The doctor's tone was full of sincerity and comfort. "You've… been through a lot. It's okay to need a break."

Spencer sighed, sinking further into the bed. "I'm sorry", he muttered. The other man was so close yet so far away at the same time. "That I can't be…" _… whatever you're expecting me to be._

Gregory scoffed. "Enough with the nonsense. This, here…" The doctor gestured from him to himself. "… is more than enough. Didn't I already tell you to stop worrying?"

"It may never be more than _this_", he warned, because Gregory deserved honesty.

The doctor shrugged. "Then so be it." And it sounded stunningly honest.

Spencer couldn't speak for a while, which was a foreign and unnerving feeling to him. In the end he couldn't make himself utter any of those things that his head was screaming. "So… Now what?" They still didn't know what they were. He had no idea what would happen when he'd come back. Or how long he'd be away. He didn't know _anything_ and he hated it.

Gregory yawned and, much to both their surprise, slipped to the bed to lay down beside him. They fit in surprisingly well. "I just finished my longest shift ever and I'm basically walking in my sleep. So now… Now we sleep."

Which they did, and whatever the nurses who must've stopped by thought about the whole matter they kept it to themselves.

* * *

Despite the fact that he was still showing far less than he was supposed to all of Spencer's thirty-two weeks of pregnancy were weighing against his spine on the day he was finally ready to head towards Las Vegas.

He sighed heavily, glaring towards the bag he'd prepared. In the end he'd decided to take along a lot more stuff than he could possibly need. But he wasn't exactly sure how long he'd be away and he didn't feel like leaving anything to a chance.

He checked the time and felt his heart jump. If he wouldn't start heading towards the airport soon he'd be late. With another deep breath he gave his home a long, lingering look.

He'd just grabbed his bag when a entirely too familiar voice spoke. "Someone with your IQ should know better than to carry something that heavy when they're pregnant."

For a while Spencer just stared, the mentioned IQ cut to half. Eventually a frown made its way to his face while his body prepared for a defense. "Look… If you came here to talk me out of leaving…" It certainly was a reasonable assumption.

"No, I didn't." Derek took a deep breath, as though bracing himself for something absolutely horrifying or impossibly hard. "I… I know that I've been a horrible friend to you for a while, now. And a terrible Alpha." The man looked at him directly into his eyes, every little ounce of the man radiating sincerity. "But… I need you to know that I won't walk away from you again. That I'll finally be there. Whatever you decide."

Spencer looked at his best friend, using all his profiling skills while assessing the Alpha's honesty. And then did what felt natural. He allowed Derek to take his bag and they left the apartment together, a companionable silence surrounding them.

They reached the airport with a stunningly peaceful if not a little melancholy air lingering around them. Derek escorted Spencer all the way to the spot where they had to separate. And there, after more than a little awkward goodbyes, Derek's hand grabbed the Omega's determinedly.

Spencer groaned. He should've known… "Look, Morgan…"

And then, so suddenly that it took away all his breath and nearly made his legs give out all over again, Derek's lips were on his, sealing him into a earth shattering kiss. After several moments of sheer stun Spencer found himself responding far more eagerly than he could've ever known to expect. For those moments of bliss nothing else existed.

Eventually Derek pulled away because air became an issue and there was a plane waiting. The Alpha was panting but those eyes were stone hard when looking into his. "What I said… I meant it, always will. Don't ever doubt it again."

For a while Spencer simply stood there, too dazed to move a muscle, until the call for his flight echoed.

Derek took a deep breath. The man's eyes, still full of lust and emotional overload, were a bit more moist than they should've been. "Go. It's your turn to walk away."

Spencer swallowed. Having the other's taste in his mouth didn't make leaving any easier. "I'll…I'll come back", he managed. And then he'd finally, finally know. There'd be no more games, hidden emotions and doubts.

Derek nodded. "I know." The man's hand brushed his stomach tenderly. "Take care of yourself. Both of you."

Somehow it felt like everything necessary had been said. At least for now. Slowly, slowly Spencer turned around and began to walk away. Each of his heavy steps echoing the same promise that was drumming in his heart, pulsating it to both of the Alphas in his life and the baby squirming furiously in his stomach.

_I'll come back._

_I'll come back._

_I'll come back._

* * *

TBC

* * *

A/N: Oh boy, the feels…! But at least it seems that things are slowly clearing out. And Reid finally gets the chance to clear his head (and heart) properly.

Sooooo… Any good at all? Worth the prolonged wait? PLEASE, do let me know!

I've really start thinking about heading to bed. (yawns) Until next time, folks! 'Hope I'll see you all there.

Take care!


	10. Shots of Understanding

A/N: I'm baaaaaack! It's definitely high time for another update. BUT, first…

Thank you, THANK YOU, for all those reviews, listings and love for this story! You can't even imagine how much your support means to me. (HUGS)

Awkay, because stalling is never kind… Let's go! I really hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

* * *

Shots of Understanding

* * *

Call it a mother's intuition or something else entirely, but on the day Spencer arrived to Las Vegas Diana Reid was lucid for the first time in almost three weeks. The doctor and nurses working on that day were all stunned but she simply met their questions with a smile. Excitement tingled underneath her skin while she sat on a couch that'd been placed in front of a window and waited.

And sure enough, after a few hours she could feel a familiar presence nearby. The smile from before widened and a sparkle took over her eyes. "I should be scolding you over flying when you're that far along with a high risk pregnancy", she pointed out, turning her head. "But at the moment I'm too happy to see you."

She took a long moment to simply look at him. Spencer appeared pale and tired which, taking his happy condition into account, wasn't a surprise. Still much too thin, at which she frowned. The baby bump that should've been quite large already was still barely visible underneath the shirt he'd chosen. It was clear that the difficult pregnancy had taken its toll on him but still he was glowing in a way only a person at a certain spot of life could.

He blinked slowly. The confusion seemed absolutely adorable on his face. "How…?"

Diana chuckled. "How many times do I have to tell you? A mother knows." She motioned towards the empty space beside her. "Now sit down, honey. You're swaying on your feet. And someone had better bring you something to drink and eat."

"I already ate", he told her hurriedly.

She narrowed her eyes. So what if the threat was only half hearted? "Don't lie to your mother, Spencer."

Perhaps the nursing student who'd been following her primary nurse for a few days wasn't completely useless, after all. Because in a few moments she came carrying what looked like macaroni and cheese along with a tall glass of water. Not exactly a five star meal but it'd do, Diana decided.

It didn't slip her attention how the nursing student glanced towards Spencer with a hint of a blush, clearly oblivious to his pregnancy. All of a sudden Diana understood why he received service so quickly and had to hide a smile. How was it possible that her son, a genius and a FBI-profiler, was so blind to his own appeal?

They talked about mundane, daily stuff while he ate. It was comforting white noise, chasing away the chaos blowing in both their heads. Eventually, however, Diana decided that she couldn't let him dodge the actual topic forever. "So… How are things with Derek?"

Spencer froze and for a moment she felt bad about asking. Only for a moment, though, because she knew that he needed to talk about it. He swallowed loudly although he finished eating a while earlier. "He's… trying."

Diana arched an eyebrow when her senses tingled. "Something tells me that he did a lot more than that. And don't imagine that I've forgotten that fascinating doctor of yours." She gestured towards the building around them with her hand. "Spencer, I have all the time in the world. So tell me everything."

* * *

Spencer knew entirely too well that he had to make _decisions_, for the sake of three people and a unborn baby. But when his blood pressure began to show signs of spiking up after the first six days in Las Vegas it occurred to him that maybe getting his mind off of relationships for a few hours wouldn't hurt.

He switched on the TV of his small yet very cozy hotel room and was pleased to discover that 'Doctor Who' was on. Apparently the baby was excited as well. He chuckled at the feel of furious kicking and squirming that began instantly.

Spencer brought a very affectionate hand to the swell and began to rub soothing circles. The baby seemed to be tracing his movements. "So you're a 'Who' fan before you're even born?" He nodded to himself, unaware of the smile that lingered on his lips. "You and I… I have a feeling that we'll get along just fine. I can't wait to see the look on your father's face when I tell him."

That unexpected trail of thought startled Spencer and he blinked quickly, twice. He and Derek… They were about to have a family, weren't they? Perhaps not the most conventional kind but a family nonetheless. He'd been so focused on his complicated relationship with the Alpha that he'd almost forgotten about that fact.

What kind of a family would they be able to provide?

His distress seemed to agitate the baby, because the kicks became harder and sharper. Spencer sighed and shook his head, continuing the soothing circles. "Sorry", he murmured. "It's not your fault that you ended up here into a soap opera." He rubbed his face with one hand. "For the next few hours it'll be just the two of us. How does that sound?"

If the change in the movements was anything to go by the baby approved.

Relaxing marginally Spencer focused his gaze on the TV. "So… That would be David Tennant, the tenth Doctor. I have feeling that your auntie Penelope has quite a crush on him." He frowned, then went on as an afterthought. "Don't tell her that I told you, though." He wasn't sure if the responsive backflip like movement was 'yes' or 'no'.

Spencer tilted his head and wiggled to a position that didn't make his spine feel it'd been cracking in half. "This is 'Blink', one of my favorite episodes. I'm glad that you're in there, though, because this is way too scary for you." Another chuckle broke free when the baby kicked hard as a protest. "Well, tough luck, because I'll be choosing what you watch from TV for a long time. Maybe we can watch this episode together one day, though." That thought felt… very, very good, actually. Sent a warm flutter through him. Based on the changed, calmer movements the baby felt the same way. Or maybe the little one was just falling asleep after roaming around since the silly hours of the morning.

Spencer himself was quite close to nodding off, anyway. He yawned. "You seem to like Tennant, so maybe we can watch all his episodes. I won't be showing you his last ones until you're much older, though. They're too sad for small children."

As the episode wore on Spencer ended up telling his unborn child everything about 'Doctor Who'. About Time Lords. About the past incarnations. About all the fantastic adventures, fear, grief and joy. About Tardis and the Sonic Screwdriver. About Sarah Jane, Rose, Jack and everyone else the Time Lord had met during his travels. In the end Spencer drifted off into the most peaceful rest he'd had in ages, following the baby. The episode provided them a pleasant lullaby.

* * *

It was a week and a day from Spencer's departure. Derek was almost certain that if he'd taken a look at any clock he would've been able to count the hours. Because yes, he'd definitely been counting.

No Alpha felt comfortable with an Omega that was pregnant with their child so far away from them and his situation with Spencer was… well, unusual.

The only comfort he had was that at very least he didn't let Spencer go without letting the younger man know of his true feelings. He'd been living in regret and denial for much too long. Now… Now it was all in Spencer's hands.

He'd been so absorbed by his thoughts that a familiar voice managed to startle him. "You miss him, don't you?" There was a knowing smile on JJ's face.

Derek scoffed although it came out half heartedly at best. "And you don't?" They all did, although it wasn't quite as painful for the others. Their family just wasn't complete without their resident genius.

JJ contemplated for a while. Hesitation still lingered in her voice when she spoke. "He misses you, too."

Derek forgot to breathe for three long seconds. His first, greedy gulp of air hurt on its way down. "How would you know?"

JJ sighed, drumming her fingers against the bureau's break room's table. "He can't call you. Not yet. But… He called me a couple of days ago, asking how Henry's doing."

One corner of Derek's lips twitched while realization began to dawn. It filled him with the kind of warmth he'd been missing for a long time. "I suppose that you didn't talk only about Henry?" he guessed.

"No, we didn't."

Derek actually had to gather his courage for a while. Like a teenager asking their friend if they thought the special someone liked them. "So… How is he?"

JJ smiled, clearly seeing something on his face that she liked. "The little one's giving him a hard time. He's sore, tired and increasingly impatient. But… He's about as okay as is to be expected. Though I have a feeling that he'd like to have the father of his child with him."

Something fluttered in Derek's stomach. He opened his mouth, several times. In the end he couldn't figure out what to say.

"Morgan." JJ's eyes were stern but full of sympathy. "He said that he'll come back and he will, soon. Until then, remember this." She made sure that he was focusing before continuing. "His heart… It's been broken, several times. But he loves you with all the pieces there are still left. Don't doubt that for even a second."

"I won't", Derek swore. And meant it. If there was something in the world he trusted it was Dr. Spencer Reid.

JJ nodded. "Good." Her eyes then hardened. "And Morgan? If you hurt him ever again, if you cause even a tiny crack more to his heart, I'll put a bullet on your sorry arse. And I'm pretty sure that Hotch would have nothing against it."

Despite knowing that she most definitely meant her words Derek grinned as he nodded. In the middle of all the chaos and drama it felt good to realize that he and Spencer weren't alone. That the BAU-family would support them, no matter what. "Understood", he confirmed.

They were just about to take some more coffee when hurried steps approached the room. They turned their heads simultaneously to see Penelope standing at the doorway. The look on the woman's face promised nothing good. "We've got a new case, a local one. It's… bad."

* * *

A week slipped by, turning into almost two. And as much as Spencer enjoyed his time away, being in a stress free environment where no one expected anything out of him, he was also starting to grow agitated. Frustrated. Towards himself, towards the world, towards the two Alphas that'd crashlanded into his life.

He was a pregnant Omega that'd ended up far away from the nest entirely too close to the time of birth. Alone, in several senses of the word, despite all the people around him. Unbonded. And, most frustratingly of all, undecided.

Because no matter how many times he'd practically screamed at his heart to make up its mind the answer was still lost to him.

On that particular day his usual afternoon stroll took him to a café he remembered seeing for the first time when he was just a little boy. With a fond smile touching the corners of his lips he entered, unable to resist the call of caffeine. He just hoped that the baby would forgive him for getting her or him addicted to coffee before the poor thing was even born.

He didn't know how long he sat there, watching the people passing by. By the time he finally came back to himself the coffee had grown cold long since. With a deep breath he took a look around the café.

A customer was arguing with the barista. At a corner table two old men were lost into a rather heated conversation. Not too far away from them a young mother was chuckling at the antics of her little girl while feeding a baby. In a few moments the young family was joined by a tall, very atheletic looking man. The man kissed the woman's forehead briefly before scooping the little girl into his arms. The child squealed excitedly.

What truly struck Spencer, however, was the expression on the woman's face. The fond, fully content smile on her lips. And then the glance the young couple gave each other. It was full of happiness and devotion.

It was the look of two people who'd somehow had everything in their joined universes click together perfectly, of people who'd been made for each other.

Spencer didn't know what came over him. Hormones, quite possibly. But all of a sudden he was fighting back tears while grabbing his cell phone and dialing numbers. He didn't know what part of him it was that seemed to know what do but he surrendered gladly because his conscious side was in a state of chaos.

It took torturously long before a familiar voice answered. "_Spencer?_" Derek sounded a bit tired and genuinely surprised. "_Are you alright?_"

Spencer shook his head. It wasn't until then it struck him that the Alpha probably found his call more than a little odd. "Yeah, yeah. Just… It's one of those weird days." He felt his cheeks gain a hint of color. "Sorry, you're probably busy…"

"_Hey, don't worry. I don't mind one bit that you called me._" There was something close to worry in Derek's voice aside softness that wasn't in it often. "_You sound sad although I can hear that you're in a café, which is a clear sign that something is wrong. So what's going on?_"

Spencer emitted a tiny, mirthless chuckle. How was he supposed to explain something that even he couldn't understand? "I… I don't know", he admitted at last. And hated it almost beyond everything else. "Probably the hormones. And… I guess that I'm a bit homesick, is all." Which was ridiculous, because he'd chosen to make this journey and he knew that the time away was something that he needed.

"_So you called me, of all people?_" Derek sounded very, very happy about the fact. The joy in the older agent's voice chased away some of the shadows circling around Spencer's heart.

He smiled, just a little. "Yeah", he murmured. And almost slipped 'I miss you' until he stopped himself. It would've been too much, too soon. He cleared his throat. "So… What are you doing?" All of a sudden he felt like a teenage girl calling her first crush. The thought bothered him a lot less than it should've.

"_We just closed a local case. To be honest we would've needed you to seal it faster._" There was a brief pause. "_I'm still stuck at the police station with paperwork. Hotch is interviewing the suspect, the others headed out to blow off some steam. I'll join them as soon as I can._"

Spencer felt a shudder of sympathy. A tough case, then. "I'm sorry that I'm not there."

"_Trust me, I'm very happy that you're far away from this sick bastard._" Derek sighed. "_It's just that we could really use that brilliant mind of yours._"

Spencer was smiling before he even realized that it was happening. His heart fluttered, just a little bit. "I'm glad that it's over now."

"_So am I. And even happier that the guy will be behind bars soon._" Derek hesitated uncharacteristically for a moment. "_I'm… also happy that you called._"

Spencer's heart jumped unhealthily while his lips opened uselessly, unable to utter even a sound.

Derek clearly took his silence the wrong way. "_I… have to go. There's a lot of paperwork to do. Stay safe, okay? And take care of you both._"

Spencer's eyes widened while his heart began to hammer in a way he couldn't remember it doing ever before. "Wait!" It was like something had been sliding forcefully into place. Like clouds had drifted away from the sun. Even though it was all horrifying and full of uncertainty, at last everything made sense. The force of it was nearly enough to make his heart burst.

Spencer blinked twice, quickly. Now, finally, he knew exactly what it was that he wanted to say. "Derek, I…"

That was where the universe interfered again.

His sentence was cut by the sound of a gunshot.

* * *

TBC

* * *

A/N: Oh dang…! You're going to beat me up for that one, aren't you? (winces) What the heck just happened? And what will the repercussions be?

Now's your chance to speak out your minds when it comes to these cliffies. Soooo, let me hear out your thoughts! Isn't that box down below just enchanting?

I've gotta go. (Especially after that cliffie...!) Until next time, ya all! I really hope that you'll all join in then.

Take care!

* * *

**Guest**: Gosh, how that's a pleasure to hear! (beams) I really hope that what's to come meets all your expectations.

Monumental thank yous for the review!

* * *

**tymbur1**: I just couldn't resist typing in that sentence. I'm thrilled to hear that you liked it! FINALLY Derek's eyes are opening. Let's hope that everything turns out okay for those two and their little family.

Colossal thank yous for the review!


	11. Unnecessary Drama

A/N: I'm so, so sorry for not updating yesterday! Finishing up with this chapter took longer than I'd expected. Hopefully this final product turns out worth the wait…?

First, though…! THANK YOU, so much, for all your reviews, love and support! I'm amazed by how many of you have joined this mad, dramatic ride. (HUGS)

Awkay, because I've already kept you waiting… Let's go! I really hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

* * *

Unnecessary Drama

* * *

Spencer could barely breathe. He was fairly sure that at least for a moment his heart was still. So was his amazing mind. The only thing that seemed to be moving in him was the baby, kicking and squirming furiously, screaming in the only way he or she could.

It took what felt like ages, entirely too long, before Spencer finally got his breath back. "Derek?" he cried out. But the phone call had already been disconnected.

The saying goes that a person sees their life flashing before their eyes in the moment of death. For Spencer it was slightly different. He saw flashes of his past with Derek while he began to realize that it might be too late to dream of a future.

He remembered everything form their first meeting, from his nervous voice barely managing a greeting, to their final, emotional meeting at the airport.

/ _"What I said… I meant it, always will. Don't ever doubt it again."_ /

And then, of course, there was all the mess in between.

'_… naked… really something you wanna see…?_'

/ _The two of them found each other like two wild animals that'd been left to starve for ages, lips and hands claiming new territories on naked skin with vigour and heat that wasn't entirely human._ /

/ _Derek, telling him that the man would never really be a father for their child, only a very close uncle._ /

/ _Derek, shedding secret tears as they sat by their daughter's grave. _/

In Spencer's head all the words of hurt, jealousy, insecurity and fear mixed with the actions of affection and friendship. Years upon years of frienship blended together with all the hurt he'd been forced through since finding out that he was pregnant. All those times Derek pushed him away became confused with those times they'd been together, happy and content. And finally it all came down to what he'd been offered. What he now might've lost.

'_… kid …_'

'_… pretty boy …_'

'_… the man I love_ …'

At the moment there was only one thing Spencer's head could come up with. He paid for his coffee to the worried looking barista, trying to swear that he was alright despite the fact that he was shaking uncontrollably, in a state of shock and barely able to hold back tears. And then he ran, as fast as his feet possibly carried him.

As he dashed out of the café Spencer barely noticed the first, deviously subtle twinges of pain, much less that they began to repeat themselves at regular intervals.

* * *

Derek could barely breathe. He was fairly sure that at least for a moment his heart was still. And then he was running as fast as he could, never noticing how his cell phone fell to the floor and shut down.

By the time he reached the interrogation room, however, the situation had already been diffused. Not exactly in the most pleasant way but still.

Nathan London, an Alpha who'd killed five Omegas in a bout of possessive haze, lay on the floor, dead as a stone with a bullet wound neatly between his eyes and a knife fallen beside him. Aaron, who had his trusty gun firmly in his hold and ready to be fired again, still didn't take his eyes off the murderer, glaring at the deceased with a grim look on his face.

"Bloody hell…!" chief Trevor Suggens from the local police, a middle aged and overweighed nearly bald man who looked amusingly lot like a cartoon character, breathed out. The man's blue eyes were wide with shock. It took a moment before Trevor caught enough hold of himself to look over his shoulder and snarl out to his men, who'd at some point flocked to the room's doorway. "Find out how the hell he managed to sneak a knife into a interrogation room! We'd better sort out this mess fast."

Very slowly Derek's head, which still felt like a hurricane had swept through it, began to settle. He swallowed and took a breath, his focus on Aaron. The unit chief seemed very tense but largely unharmed. Still he had to ask. "You alright?"

Aaron nodded stiffly. "He knew that he never stood a chance. He just wanted it to be over."

Derek couldn't feel an ounce of sympathy. Not when every single Omega that monster slaughtered, in some of the most horrific ways imaginable, could've been Spencer. When, if things had been just a little different, that monster could've easily stolen away his entire world.

If the situation had been just a little less chaotic, if Derek hadn't been forced to focus on the near disaster right in front of him, he might've remembered the phone call that got interrupted brutally. But at the moment he was preoccupied by a situation in which a serial killer attacked a federal agent while in police custody. And, ultimately, the suspect had ended up dead of a suicide aided by a federal agent. Soon enough there'd be quite a storm while people would start asking how such a situation was even possible.

Derek's professional side wiped away all his Alpha instincts, absolutely everything else, and so he found himself swept away by the aftermath of the nightmarish case. He forgot all about his cell phone. It took hours before the thought of it even crossed his mind.

* * *

Spencer knew that flying wasn't safe for him anymore. He was very, very far along on a high risk pregnancy and his high blood-pressure made the whole thing even more of a bad idea. But, his Omega side reasoned, just waiting around for a word of Derek would've been even more harmful on him and the baby. Because the stress of not knowing was pure murder.

First he ran towards his hotel, or ran the best as he still could anyway, then packed up his things with his whole body in a state of chaos. Finally he sat in a taxi on his way to the airport. The entire time he kept trying to call Derek but the man's cell phone wasn't on. Then he attempted to reach other members of the team. None of them picked up. Eventually he was fighting a mighty war to keep himself from breaking into tears. Ridiculous, all of it! And in the middle of the chaos of his mind he still didn't notice the painful twinges radiating from him abdomen, little by little growing less and less far apart. All he knew was that he'd have to get back home, for the sake of himself and his unborn child.

And once he'd get there he was going to strangle Derek with his own bare hands for putting him through this brand new bit of unnecessary drama…!

The young woman with neatly tied dark brown hair and large blue eyes he made his way towards to get a flight ticket gave him a very odd look. She was obviously taking in how out of breath and flustered he was. "Are you alright?" she inquired. Quite possibly wondering if she should alert the airport security.

Spencer nodded the best as he could and gulped to sound less like he was suffocating. "I… I need to get to Virginia, as fast as possible. It's a family emergency." Well, if that the father of his baby may have gotten shot didn't qualify as one he didn't know what did.

The woman, Samantha according to her nametag, allowed her gaze to wander towards his stomach. Clearly she was trying to determine the exact extend of his happy condition. "If you don't mind me asking… How far along are you?"

"Not too far along." Spencer felt somewhat bad about lying but shelved the feeling for later. For the time being he was just glad that his bump was small enough to make his statement believable. "Now please, get me that ticket. Because I really, really need to get home to make sure that… that the idiot who impregnanted me hasn't gotten himself killed." His voice broke but at the moment he decided not to care. "And if he hasn't I'm going to punch him."

Samantha seemed to decide that she didn't want to know anything further. Instead she nodded slowly, then began a search for available flights. In a few moments she glanced towards the clock and bit her lower lip. "There's a direct flight, but… The gates close in twenty minutes." Once more she glanced towards his condition. "I'm not sure if you'll make it…"

Spencer's eyes flashed nothing short of dangerously. His heart thudded one time too many. "I will", he swore through his teeth.

It was definitely a mad dash. Spencer received a lot of suspicious looks while he rushed on towards the correct gate, one hand pressed apologetically against his belly and the other clutching to his small bag so hard that his knuckles had turned white. He'd have to pamper the baby with several pineapple muffins when this whole thing was over. As for Derek… Well, Derek would be punished accordingly.

Because Derek was alright, had to be, there just couldn't be any other option.

The clock kept ticking on against him mercilessly. Fortunately people didn't seem to be too much against the idea of him cutting the line in security check, especially when they took in his condition and clearly saw the state of his mind. By the time he stumbled to the correct gate, yet again out of breath and with a not exactly pleasant pulsating all over his body, he had less than two minutes to spare.

The man who'd just checked his ticket gave him a worried glance. "Sir? Are you alright?"

Spencer nodded furiously. Blatantly ignoring the jolts of ache going through him as something that'd pass by soon. "Yeah. I just… I want to get home. It's time to go home."

During his incredible run Spencer didn't notice that his cell phone's battery died from all the frantic phone calls he made. That's why had couldn't have any idea of the call's raining back to him. Of the calls trying to tell him that everything was going to be alright.

* * *

Hours upon hours had passed by the time Derek had been throughoutly questioned over the events that led to the suspect's death and the paperwork had been completed. He was tired, extremely irritated and ready to punch someone, and all he wanted was to have Spencer there, safely in his arms.

He knew that something was wrong the moment he entered the bureau and saw Penelope running towards him. There was a half frantic, half furious look on her face. "What happened?" she exclaimed. "Never mind that. What happened to your cell phone?"

Derek frowned, not quite able to pinpoint why exactly she was so upset. "My cell phone?" And then, at last, it all came back to him. His eyes grew ridiculously wide. "I… must've dropped it and… Oh no…!"

Penelope didn't seem to have the patience to let him finish. There was nearly palpable worry on her face. "Reid… He'd been trying to call me six times while I was working on the case. When I tried to call him back just now his cell phone was off. What's going on?"

Derek inhaled although his lungs didn't feel exactly co-operative. "We… were talking on the phone, just when…" And the last thing Spencer heard from his end was the gunshot. The last thing the pregnant Omega heard was…

If it was actually possible Penelope's dread seemed to grow. "Morgan?" she demanded somewhat tentatively, like someone who wasn't fully sure if they wanted to know. "What's going on?"

Derek didn't answer because his mind was speeding entirely elsewhere. Not even hearing her calling out to him he rushed away. Hoping from the bottom of his heart that his fears were silly.

Despite trying to convince himself that he was being stupid and overly dramatic, though, Derek decided that he couldn't afford to waste a second. So he ran, making his way towards the bureau's elevator with only one thought in his head. He really had to get to Spencer, as fast as possible.

But, as it turned out, the Omega had moved faster.

Because as the elevator's doors opened Derek found himself face to face with a very flustered looking Spencer. For a few moments they stared at each other in total disbelief. Then, without a thought, Derek burst in and folded the Omega into a nearly crushing hug. It was nothing short of heavenly to feel Spencer responding to his embrace and melting to it.

After what was probably several minutes although it didn't feel like more than seconds he was suddenly shoved further with a considerable amount of force. For a moment such relief washed over Spencer's features that Derek feared the Omega might pass out. Then, as though a switch had been flicked, the anger became unleashed. The younger man's eyes narrowed while a incredible amount of rage flared to life inside them. "Derek Nathaniel Morgan…!" the pregnant and at the moment very terrifying Omega hissed. "SIX HOURS, EIGHTEEN MINUTES AND FORTY-FIVE SECONDS! That's how long you made me think that you…! That you…!"

Derek felt a sudden need to take a step backwards. He had no idea how to proceed. "I'm sorry", he tried meekly. "I tried to call you…"

Spencer's glare cut him off about as effectively as the growled words. "One… more… word… And I'll punch you." The man's expression told very clearly that he would've felt no hesitation to do just that. And then, so suddenly that it made Derek's breath get stuck into his throat, the Omega's lips crushed against his, sealing him into a dizzying kiss.

In the end oxygen became an issue. They broke apart, both of them panting and furiously determined not to let go of each other. "I'm still mad at you", Spencer murmured, just to make sure that the matter was clear.

Derek nodded and fought back a grin, the kiss still tingling on his lips and making his head fuzzy. "Okay." What else was he supposed to say?

"And if you ever do anything like that again… Well, I know a couple of very painful things I can do to your most delicate parts." There wasn't even a hint of a joke, there.

How wrong was it that Derek wanted to kiss Spencer again, right there? It took a while before he managed to regain even one tenth of his brain fuction. "How… did you get here so fast?" Yes, like that would've been the bit that mattered. It clicked at a dizzying speed. He felt his chest tighten, as did his hold on the Omega. "You flew, didn't you?" Spencer was thirty-six weeks pregnant! There was no way he should've been…!

Spencer's eyes were twin pools of lava and liquid. The hormonal storm was most likely overwhelming, especially in the presence of an Alpha for the first time in weeks. "My Alpha could've been injured, or worse", the younger man hissed, as though insulted. There was a flash of ache on the genius' face. "Do you really think that I could've stayed in Vegas?"

It took longer than it should've for those words to sink in. When they did Derek's eyes widened as dangerous, cautious hope filled every little bit of him. He barely dared to say it out loud in fear of shattering the fragile dream. "Your Alpha…?" Was it possible that Spencer meant it?

Spencer, however, didn't seem to be listening. The Omega was pressing the elevator's buttons fervently with a badly shaking hand. The doors wouldn't budge.

Derek gulped. He took a instinctive, protective step closer to the other. "Are we… stuck?" It was stating the obvious, really. Of course they were.

What was it with the two of them and elevators?

"No, no, no", Spencer muttered. Clearly mostly to himself. The younger agent's face seemed dangerously pale all of a sudden. "You can't do this to me, not now…!"

"Spencer?" Derek placed a hand to the Omega's shoulder to get the man's attention. "Hey, it's okay. Help will be here soon." Or so he hoped. Help would arrive as soon someone realized that they were in a trouble.

"The elevator… It's not the biggest problem." Spencer's eyes were huge and far more than a little scared. One of the man's hands was attempting to rub soothing circles on his belly. The Omega winced. "I've… been having these cramps for hours. At first…" There was another wince. "At first they came about every fifteen or twenty minutes. Now… Now there's a almost constant burning."

Derek's heart definitely skipped a beat. The flow of terror felt like a bucket of ice. "Are you seriously telling me that…?"

Spencer nodded fervently. The younger man gasped in a frail, pained breath. "The baby… It's coming _now_. And fast."

* * *

TBC

* * *

A/N: Ooooooooh boy! The baby sure has a timing. The curse of elevators strikes again… (winces) Let's just hope that all goes well.

Soooo… Thoughts? Comments? You're more than welcomed to leave them to the cute, tiny box down below.

Since I've already kept you waiting too long I'll dash on to get this update out. Until next time! I really hope that you'll join in for that one.

Take care!

* * *

**tymbur1**: Quite a bit of drama indeed! (winces) But hopefully this marks the beginning of something great, rather than a tragedy… It warms my heart to hear that you're so eager to read more! (beams)

Awww, and I'm happy to hear that you like Greg! Too bad for him that it just wasn't meant to be.

Colossal thank yous for the review! I really hope that you'll enjoy what's to come as much.

* * *

**Guest**: How's this for soon…? (smirks sheepishly) I'm horribly cruel, aren't I? I really hope that you'll find what's to come worth the wait.

Monumental thank yous for the review!


	12. Push!

A/N: Phew! I almost missed a Tuesday update but here I am. (BEAMS)

First, though… THANK YOU, so, so much, for all your amazing reviews and love for this story! It's been a long but lovely ride. It's good to notice that so many have joined along!

Awkay, because I get all sentimental… Let's go! I really hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

The chapter is a bit shorter than my usual ones, but I didn't want to stretch it and that was the only place where it wanted to stop, so…

* * *

Push!

* * *

Now, when Derek first dared to hope that he might, just might, be allowed to be a part of Spencer and their child's life, he also dared to dream. One of his favorite fantasies was about the birth. Safely in a hospital, with Spencer properly medicated. Derek himself, of course, would calmly follow the midwife's advices to the letter. Excited, but calm and composed.

To hell with calm!

It was tossed into the wind while Derek stared, frozen, how Spencer slid to the floor. Obviously in a great deal of pain and gasping in what was probably supposed to be the proper breathing technique. Spencer was cursing, loudly and stunningly colorfully in a number of languages, and in any other situation it might've been absolutely hilarious. Derek himself wasn't saying anything. His body was completely shut down and his mind wasn't doing a lot better.

Was his heart still beating?

"Derek." Spencer's face held a grimace of pain and the Omega was shaking from agony but those eyes… They were nothing short of deadly. "Help me… Right now…" The younger man's eyes narrowed when nothing happened. "You…! You started this! So… bloody hell…!… help me finish it… NOW!"

Derek couldn't help it. Maybe it was the shock or the stunning audio of Spencer cursing. But he chuckled while he approached the Omega.

Spencer certainly wasn't amused. As soon as he was close enough the genius grabbed the front of his shirt, hard, and glared at him. "Laugh again… and you'll suffer."

Derek's eyebrow arched. "Oh…?" The threat had sounded far more tempting than it should've.

Spencer nodded, slowly. A roar of threat on his pained, pale face. "Doctorates… in chemistry and engineering… remember?" The hand fell from his shirt, slipping to his hand instead, when the burning pain seemed to get worse. Spencer squeezed his eyes tightly shut, emitting a bizarre mixture of a howl and a whimper. "GET… IT… OUT… OF… ME!"

Derek gave the other a mildly admonishing look. Truth be told, he was too terrified to feel much of anything beyond that. His hands were trembling pitiably while he helped Spencer's pants down, unable to smother hazy flashbacks of when he last did so. Oh, how things could change…! "'It' is our baby, Spence", he reminded the Omega.

"I… don't… care… if it's a… watermelon!" Spencer grunted back. The younger agent was squirming furiously, still unable to get his breathing under control. "GET… IT… OUT!"

Derek stared at the sight before him, entirely too aware that he was looking at Spencer's private parts. And he didn't have the slightest clue what to do. Which felt both frustrating and terrifying on several levels.

He'd never even seen a Omega labor before! He really, really should've watched one of those embarrassing educational films or read a book. Well, too late to dwell on that.

"I…" He swallowed. "I don't know…"

"The baby… does…" Spencer hissed loudly and it sounded suspiciously lot like a long list of obscene vocabulary. "It's… coming…"

* * *

Outside, for the time being blissfully unaware of the drama in the elevator, the rest of the BAU-family was finishing the last bits of exhausting paperwork. All of them were dreaming of finally getting to go home. It'd been a long, nasty case that hit just a little too close to home with all of them worrying over Spencer. They were more than eager to leave it behind.

Well, they were about to get something else to think about. Because all of a sudden they heard a member of their cleaning up crew muttering heatedly about a never working elevator. Now, most would've just ignored it. But knowing their team's luck they knew better. So they looked at each other, eyes a little wide and alarmed. And just then they could've sworn they heard Spencer scream.

"Oh no…!" Aaron groaned.

* * *

Derek's heart was hammering while Spencer's body adapted to the progress of the stunningly quick labor. It didn't seem to be doing so fast enough, though. The Alpha didn't know how much a male Omega was supposed to bleed in that particular occasion but the amount of red leaking from Spencer was unnerving.

Derek gulped, loudly. No amount of deep breaths was enough. "I… I think you need to try and push."

"What… _the hell_… do you think… I'm doing?" Spencer snarled back like a wounded lion.

"Sorry." And it was for so much more than just Derek's words a while earlier. A bit long overdue, but still.

Spencer didn't seem able to focus on such a deep conversation, though. The Omega actually roared and squirmed once again, squeezing his hand so tightly that it was a miracle no bone became fractured. "This… _THIS_ is entirely your fault!"

"Yes", Derek admitted meekly. Well, he was partially responsible. And to be honest he was ready admit just about any crime if it eased the other's agony.

For the following few moments they focused intently on the chaos at hand. There was even more blood and Derek was intensely relieved to hear Spencer's grunts and gasps. Still fighting, then. Good.

Derek took a deep, shuddering breath. Feeling a intense need to say _something_. "You're doing great", he praised, his voice quite a bit weaker than he would've liked. "They say that the first one is the hardest…" He really should've quit while he was winning.

Nothing, absolutely nothing, on Earth could've matched the flare that burst into life in Spencer's eyes. "'First one'?" the Omega hissed. "You… are _never_… going to touch me again!"

Derek couldn't help feeling a burst of amusement. "Really? Pity. I just bought that military uniform…"

Spencer still glared at him. But he had a feeling that if the Omega would've been able to the man would've smiled, at least a little. If such was possible the younger agent squeezed his hand even tighter. But this time not out of pain or rage. "I… hate… you."

Derek couldn't fight back the massive grin that took over his face. "I know, pretty boy." On the spur of the moment he leaned down and pressed his lips on the agonized man's sweat covered forehead. "I love you, too."

It could've been very sweet and even romantic, all of it. If it wasn't for the load of mess they had left to sort out. If Spencer hadn't been in a labor. If they hadn't been locked up into a elevator, _again_.

"Federal Bureau of Investigation and they can't even make their elevators function properly", Derek muttered darkly under his breath.

"Derek…!"

That definitely caught Derek's attention. It sounded immensely pained but also scared. Something was happening.

And sure enough, something was very much happening.

Derek stared for a moment, baffled. Then gasped out. "I… I think I see the head." But... Wasn't it too fast? Weren't these things supposed to take longer?

"Derek Morgan", Spencer growled. Eyes full of lava. "Pass out now… and I'll strangle you… with the umbilical cord."

Derek took a yet another deep breath. _Okay, okay now… Get a hold of yourself, Derek…_ "Just… Just keep pushing, okay? I think… I think it's almost over."

He almost told Spencer _not to_ push when he discovered that each shove of effort drew out more blood. But he supposed that it was too late to stop. He just wished that the whole thing would be over soon. And that help would finally arrive. Yes, that would've been most ideal. Because if he was honest with himself he didn't have a clue what he was doing.

"Good, good…" Spencer closed his eyes and just focused on breathing for a moment. "The baby… is out, soon… Just don't… Don't drop it, yeah?"

"You wound me", Derek scolded mildly. He was far more focused on the equally nauseating, horrifying and fascinating sight of a tiny head appearing. "Don't you think I've been screwing up enough?" More than enough, really.

Spencer didn't bother to comment. Instead the genius focused furiously on a one more, gigantic push. Derek tried to brace himself for the sound that was building up. But nothing could've readied him for the howl of sheer agony, rage and joy that soon echoed in the elevator.

* * *

The others didn't know what orders Aaron gave, and preferred it that way, but a crew came to work on the elevator at a record speed. They could only hope that it was fast enough.

There was a great chance that it wasn't. Because all of a sudden a loud, barely human scream made its way to their ears. The man trying to fix the trap box jumped backwards. "What the hell…?"

David gulped, loudly. His face paling significantly. "I… I think that there's a Omega in labor. So you'd better hurry."

* * *

Unfortunately one push wasn't enough to force out all the rest of the baby. Spencer grunted and closed his eyes, breathing hard with exhaustion, when the aftershock of the push slammed at him like a wall of bricks. He was feeling utterly drained already and it wasn't over yet.

How the hell was he supposed to find the strength for another push?

He was quite seriously contemplating asking Derek to just tear the baby out with his bare hands when the Alpha spoke. The tone was so small and vulnerable that it caught his attention instantly. "Spencer? Spencer, hang in there, okay? It's almost over, now. Just a little more." A thumb caressed the back of his hand and it wasn't until then he realized that their hands had probably been joined for a mighty while. "Just a little more, Spencer. Make Diandra proud."

If there was anything in the world and beyond that gave Spencer the spark he needed the mention of his daughter's name was it. It was pulling together the absolutely last of his strength but he refused to show himself mercy. This time his mouth opened soundlessly as all his focus and energy were directed at getting the baby out of him.

It hurt so much, more than anything he'd ever experienced before. Spencer was almost sure that tears rolled down his cheeks but at the moment he refused to care. Instead he pushed and pushed, as hard as he could and beyond, using all of his body, heart and soul.

"… almost there! …"

Spencer didn't know how many more pushes he was able to withstand or how many of them were proper ones. But in the end, just when he came to a conclusion that he wouldn't be able to do anything further, he felt something slip out. When he opened his suspiciously bleary eyes and turned his head ever so slightly he saw a tiny, tiny baby in Derek's trembling arms. Covered in blood and vernix but absolutely perfect. His gaze traveled downwards and a smile appeared to his lips.

Their perfect baby _boy_.

The smile faded when he noticed something. The baby… was too quiet. Wasn't there supposed be crying…?

* * *

Derek was most definitely panicking while he stared at their son who had his eyes closed stubbornly. Too still. Entirely too quiet.

_No… NO, no, no…!_

"Come on", he choked out, barely able to breathe himself. His eyes grew blurry but at the moment he didn't manage to care why.

Nor did he notice the havoc behind the elevator's doors, signaling that soon enough they'd be torn free.

"Come on", Derek begged, cradling the baby closer. Desperately trying to protect the fragile being from all the evils of the world. "Breathe for me, sweetie, why don't you? Shout out for me."

For several more, agonizing moments the little one was completely quiet. And then, so suddenly that Derek nearly did drop the baby, the tiny mouth opened and a loud, commanding wail began. As though encouraged by his own voice the baby began to cry louder, screaming out his arrival to the entire world.

Derek wasn't ashamed of the tears that leaked to his cheeks. He laughed, dimly realizing that it sounded odd when mixing with sobs. "There you go… There you are…" He chuckled again when the baby's forehead wrinkled, and there was a brand new whimper.

In the middle of it all the elevator's doors were nearly open. Familiar voices called out to him and Spencer. The only one Derek heard was his son.

Derek swallowed thickly. His arms were far from steady when he pulled the baby closer still. He could've sworn that the newborn snuggled closer. "See, Spencer? He's perfect." There was no response.

"Spencer?"

* * *

TBC

* * *

A/N: I'm just… I'm gonna go and hide now, okay? Because I feel that I should…

BUT, before I dash off… Please, do leave a note! Or a rant! Either way, I LOVE hearing from you.

Until next time, folks! I really hope that I'll see ya all there.

Take care!

* * *

**tymbur1**: Ah, I'm glad that I managed to surprise you with the gunshot bit! (grins) Quite a dash the poor thing made, only to end up stuck in the pretty much worst possible situation. (winces) Let's hope that all ends well.

Monumental thank yous for the review! Until next time?

* * *

**Guest**: I know, I'm HORRIBLE sometimes. But… At least the update is here? (smirks sheepishly) 'Hope it turns out worth the wait.

Huge thank yous for the review!

* * *

**kids7hot2**: Welcome aboard! (BEAMS) I'm ecstatic to hear that you've enjoyed the journey thus far. I really hope that what's to come pleases you as much.

Massive thank yous for the review!

* * *

**Mikesh**: Those poor things, no? (chuckles a bit helplessly) Let's just hope that all ends well. And that they'll get the chance to FINALLY talk things through.

Gigantic thank yous for the review! Until next time.


	13. Getting to Know You

A/N: It's uuuuuuuupdate time! But, before moving to that…

WOAH! Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for all your reviews, love and support! It absolutely baffles me how many friends this tale has gotten. (HUGS) Thank you!

Awkay, because I'm sure that you're pretty eager to get on with the story… Let's roll! I really hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

* * *

Getting to Know You

* * *

The sight that met them when the elevator's doors opened made David's eyes widen and he recoiled a step before he realized what he was doing. He was fairly sure that all color left his face, right there. He muttered something dark and incomprehensible under his breath.

The first thing he noticed was the mess. There was blood, too much of it. Mixing with the waters that'd broken somewhere along the way, it looked even worse than it probably was. The traces of the afterbirth weren't exactly pleasant, either.

And then he saw Spencer, lay nearby on the floor with his eyes closed. Horribly pale and entirely too still. But alive, that was important. The young man's chest was rising and falling steadily. It seemed that the pain and blood loss had knocked out the genius.

Then David heard the crying and it took longer than it should've to realize that it was the baby. Turning his head slowly, slowly he saw Derek hunched close to Spencer. The trembling Alpha was holding a newborn baby in a protective hold that would've seemed absolutely adorable under any other circumstances. But not with how absolutely terrified, how miserable, Derek looked while staring at Spencer's unconscious form. It was like the man had been trying to will the Omega to wake up through telepathy.

Aaron was about to take a step forward but David stopped the man with a sharp arm. Sending another Alpha in with how fried Derek's nerves already were? When they were dealing with a newborn and an unwell Omega? Definitely not a good idea.

David stepped in instead, careful to do it slowly enough. Instantly Derek's eyes darted towards him and narrowed, followed by a low growl. David gulped. _O-kay…_ "Morgan, it's just me. It's Rossi." He nodded towards Spencer. "Reid… He'll be okay. But we need to get him to a hospital, alright? You need to let us help." He gestured towards the baby. "And… The little one needs to be looked over, too. Just in case. He had quite the entrance."

Painfully slowly Derek seemed to come back to himself. The Alpha nodded faintly, holding the baby even closer while keeping his eyes on the unconscious man. "I… I tried to help, Rossi", the usually confident man whispered, eyes misting a little. "I tried."

David nodded. He would've wanted to check Spencer's pulse but he didn't dare to touch the Omega just yet. Not when Derek was still… struggling. "I know", he reassured the new father. "And you did great. The baby sounds healthy and Reid will be fine, too." Good grief, how he hoped that he wasn't lying! At least Spencer's breathing was steady and sounded healthy. He took some comfort from that. He was encouraged to go on when Derek seemed to relax slightly. "Considering the environment… You did beyond great. Both of you did."

Derek nodded slowly, appearing speechless. The younger man didn't seem to believe him fully but at least there was no open hostility anymore. The Alpha had given room for the human side. That was a good sign.

JJ must've warned the paramedics of the situation because by the time she escorted them in they moved carefully, explaining every single one of their moves to the once more unbelievably tense Alpha glaring at them. It seemed to take all Derek had to keep himself from attacking, or at least snarling, when they began to take Spencer away. David was grateful that they didn't even try to touch the baby. That would've definitely resulted to a massive mess.

When they left the elevator JJ was there. Her presence – soft, friendly, feminine, decidedly non-threatening –seemed to put Derek into at least a hint of ease. Perhaps no noses would be broken, after all. The subtle way she was in control over the situation impressed David.

Who would've thought that her maternal side would be her greatest asset.

And then they disappeared from view. David took a deep breath, staring at the empty hallway mainly to avoid facing the horrifying mess in the elevator. To keep himself from wondering how much lost blood was too much. Surely Spencer had to know better than to leave Derek all alone with their son.

* * *

The next couple of hours passed by in a extremely tense waiting while the team gathered to the hospital's waiting room. Waiting for any news whatsoever. Everything would go fine, they all told themselves and each other. Simply because anything else was unthinkable.

After what felt like a small eternity JJ finally entered the room. The look in her eyes brought a flood of relief and comfort long before her words. "I just talked to Spencer's doctor. The baby is very tiny, since he was born almost a month too soon. But he's healthy. They just want to keep him here for a little bit, just in case."

They basked in the warmth of those news for a while. In the end Aaron was the brave one to ask. "And Reid…?"

JJ's expression faltered but only slightly. "He… lost a lot of blood, and there was a degree of tearing." They all preferred her not going into details. "His body was forced through quite a bit. He's still unconscious but mainly because of pain medication. He should wake up in a few hours, once his body is ready."

"So… He'll be okay?" Penelope's eyes were still a bit moist, full of hope and a plea. Clearly she needed to hear it being said out loud.

JJ nodded. "Yeah. He'll be okay."

"I can't wait to get to see the baby", Alex mused with a smile on her face.

"That may take a while." JJ stiffled a yawn and it wasn't until then they remembered just how long they'd been up without a wink of sleep. "Derek's still highly protective, and the presence of an Omega and his newborn baby won't make it any easier. They're in a special room to have some privacy. Only the hospital staff is allowed to go there and even they enter only when it's acutely necessary."

David nodded. "Well… Morgan did seem ready to beat someone up." He looked a the others. "So… Now what?"

"Now", Aaron, ever the leader, stated. "Now we go and get some coffee. Maybe then we'll be able to get some rest while waiting for more news."

Those were quite possibly the wisest words uttered all day. And they did so. Then settled to wait, even from a bit of distance keeping an eye on the absent three members of their family.

* * *

The large, well aired hospital room was surprisingly pleasant. A large double bed, landscape painting on the wall, a massive armchair that looked nothing like the usual hospital chairs… It could've been called homey if it wasn't for all tubes Spencer was connected to or for the unmistakable reek in the air.

Derek hated it, mainly because it kept him from being able to distinguish Spencer's own, natural scent. His fried nerves would've needed that little thing to be convinced that this whole nightmare might end happily. To remember that Spencer wasn't in a coma or worse.

Fortunately he had the baby – his baby, _their_ baby – to keep him preoccupied.

A little while ago, only a few hours old, the child had expressed, very loudly, that he was hungry. The nurse, a sweet young woman who'd done a very good job at helping them without setting off Derek's Alpha side, praised the demands for food as an excellent sign. When she showed up moments later with formula Derek was more than happy to give his son the baby's first meal in the world outside Spencer's abdomen.

And there he sat in the armchair, watching with mesmerized eyes and love that couldn't be explained with words how the baby ate determinedly. It took longer than it should've before he found his voice and for some reason he chose to keep it quiet. As though not wanting anyone else to hear. "So…" He sighed. "The thing is, I've made a lot of mistakes. And… Way too many of them have hurt your daddy. Badly." He gritted his teeth. "I… I almost lost this, you know? All of this. In more ways than one. But… Here you still are, both of you. I still don't know how, or what I've done to deserve this, but… You are. And you can't even imagine how grateful I am."

The boy's eating seemed to slow down. Derek stroked the incredibly small fingers gently and took a deep breath. "I… got scared, and it almost cost me everything. Whatever you do… Don't ever make that mistake, you hear? I _never_ want to see you lose your whole world just because you got scared of 'what ifs'."

The baby was definitely finished eating. Deep in thought though making each movement with great care Derek lifted the child to his shoulder to burp him. His eyes softened while he looked at Spencer's sleeping form on the other side of the bed. "I've almost lost your daddy too many times. And… It's going to stop now. When he wakes up…" He swallowed. "When he wakes up I'm going to try my best to do it right this time."

The baby replied with throwing up on his shirt.

* * *

The first thing Spencer sensed upon beginning to wake up was the entirely too familiar, harsh smell of a hospital. He groaned, much more out of irritation than physical pain because he seemed to have been heavily medicated. He even felt tempted to curse, just a little bit.

Seriously, a hospital again…?

What happened, anyway? His last memory, if even that wasn't just a dream, was of hearing a gunshot and desperately trying to make his way to Derek. There'd been pain that had nothing to do with the Alpha possibly being in danger.

As sharply as a bolt of lightning it struck him and instantly his eyes flew open.

The baby…! He went into a labor. In a elevator, of all the possible places.

He must've shifted or gasped because all of a sudden there was movement. Was… someone beside him on the bed? "… 'ncer?" That had to be Derek's voice although it sounded thick from sleep, unfamiliar. Yes, it seemed that they were sharing a bed. Because the Alpha was definitely moving beside him, slowly and carefully, like even the slightest wrong motion might damage him.

It infuriated Spencer, although he had to admit that the concern was also quite touching. Slowly, using a lot of strength that he didn't really have and willpower, he turned his head to see the other man sitting up beside him. Spencer tried to narrow his eyes but couldn't keep the start of a smile from tugging the corners of his lips. "… 'not made of glass", he pointed out as hotly as he could. He was a grown man and he refused to be coddled.

Derek grinned sheepishly. Worry, intense relief and fear had all left their traces on the man's face. "With how much you just bled… You have no say over that matter."

Spencer frowned. Bled? Oh yes, the birth…!

Finally it hit home.

His eyes widened to a ridiculous extend and his heart seemed to perform a somersault. A violent surge of panic and protectiveness flowed through him while he sat up quickly. _Too_ quickly. He groaned at the stab of agony and the world spun dangerously for a few moments.

"Hey, easy, there…!" Derek was instantly beside him, helping him sit up properly, supporting him. A hand was stroking his hair, fervent fingertips brushing a spot on his neck that didn't yet have a bond mark.

Apparently that was another matter they'd have to discuss sooner or later, because Spencer wasn't ready to let anyone mark him anytime soon.

Derek allowed him to calm down for a moment, just holding him close and continuing the soothing stroking, until the man spoke once more. "You did a brilliant job, Spencer", the Alpha reassured him in what sounded a lot like purring. "We… We have a son. A healthy little baby boy. Just take a look at him yourself."

Which Spencer did. He turned his head, slowly and almost fearfully this time. He wasn't able to stiffle the mixture of a gasp and a sob.

There, in his very own tiny bed, a incredibly small yet very much perfect baby boy was resting. The little one's arms and legs were flailing restlessly, as though looking for something or someone. That's when the Omega finally heard the demanding whimpering.

Spencer didn't know about the single tear that rolled down his cheek. For the longest time all he could do was stare, barely daring to believe, truly afraid that even a single blink might shatter the illusion. The entire time there was a radiant smile on his slightly parted lips.

"Spencer?" Derek's voice was uncharacteristically uncertain. "Do you…? Are you okay?"

Spencer nodded quickly, wiping his cheeks. "Yeah." He cleared his throat and took a deep, shuddering breath. "I'd… Could you give him to me?"

Derek didn't hesitate for even a second. The Alpha's motions were stunningly certain and experted while the man took the baby gently into his arms, making soft calming sounds at the small wail of protest. Even a single word wasn't spoken when the child was handed to Spencer, mainly because no words were needed.

Spencer smiled, stroking the boy's face cautiously with his fingertips, admiring how the skin's color was the perfect mixture of him and Derek. A part of him still feared that the entire sweet illusion might break somehow. "Hey", he breathed out. It took a moment before he trusted his voice enough to speak again. "You sure were in a hurry, weren't you? You've inherited your father's impatience."

Derek chuckled good naturedly. "Hey! You two, stop badmouthing about me."

Spencer tuned ou the Alpha, at least for the time being. He kept his eyes on the baby's face. "It would've been great if you'd had the patience to stay longer. But… I'm glad, that you're here." More so than any words could ever fully express.

The baby yawned. And then, stunning them both, began to open his eyes. Instantly Derek leaned forward, excitement bubbling in the very air around him. "He hasn't opened his eyes yet", the older man breathed out.

Well, that was about to change. Because there, safe in his daddy's protective arms, the little one first frowned and wrinkled his nose. Clearly trying to decide if the cold, entirely too bright world around him was worth joining. Then, slowly as though he'd been taunting them, opened his eyes a little. They were greeted by the most amazing sliver of hazel, looking up at them with what seemed to be a mixture of curiosity and wonder. Like evaluating them, or perhaps profiling. Already the new arrival's eyes seemed wiser than those of someone who'd seen ten lifetimes.

It was most definitely one of the most amazing, magical moments in Spencer's entire life. Time, even the whole rest of the world, lost all meaning while the three of them remained perfectly still, with the parents and the baby looking at each other. Trying to get to know one another.

"He's definitely a genius", Derek declared, his voice full of barely controlled emotions. Spencer couldn't help but agree. It took a considerable amount of time before the Alpha managed to speak again. "What… What do you think we should call him?"

Spencer looked into his son's eyes, searching for a sign. And smiled. "How about Leo? It's a name for a genius", he suggested. "Leonardo Malik Reid-Morgan."

The baby responded with yawning and falling asleep, which Spencer chose to take as a sign of acceptance.

Derek, on the other hand, blinked twice with surprise. Most likely stunned by hearing his father's name Malik for the first time in ages. For a moment Spencer was worried that he'd stepped over a unvoiced line. His fears were soon banished.

Before he had even the slightest chance of seeing it coming Derek's lips claimed his, sealing him into a tender kiss that seemed to do a lot more talking than any words would've managed. Without questioning it for even a second Spencer allowed himself to melt into it. For a few precious moments he ignored the question of whether it was all hormones, if he was making a huge mistake, and just let go.

He had no illusions. They weren't a couple, let alone bonded. There was miles and miles of hard work ahead of them. But for a small stolen moment he decided to ignore the ghosts of days to come. No matter what, exactly, they were they'd now become a family. At the moment he was too excited to pay mind to the terror building up in the pit of his no longer pregnant stomach.

For the sake of his modesty, it was fortunate that Spencer didn't realize that he was purring.

* * *

TBC

* * *

A/N: Waaaaaait a minute… No cliffie? And in chapter 13, of all numbers! Oh well, I figured that I owed you guys as much… (grins sheepishly)

Sooooo… How was that? Any good, at all? Any thoughts on the new arrival and his name?

There's a few more chapters to come, six at most. I have a rather solid idea as to where I'll end this but we'll see what my head decides in the end…

Until next time, folks! I really hope that you'll stop by again then.

Take care!

* * *

**tymbur1**: Okay, so how was I supposed to NOT update as fast as I could after a review like that? (chuckles) Gosh, I really hope that the next chapter meets all of your expectations!

Gigantic thank yous for the amazing review!

* * *

**Guest**: LOL, Reid sure gave Morgan a piece of his mind! (smirks) And then, of course, we had the cliffie… (groans at oneself) Let's just hope that all ends well for the little family!

Colossal thank yous for the review!

* * *

**Mikesh**: The poor thing, no? (winces) Let's just hope that he'll be okay after all the drama.

Monumental thank yous for the review! Until next time.

* * *

**Guest** (2): Awww, I sure will! I hope that it meets your expectations.

Huge thank yous for the review!


	14. Jitters and Embraces

A/N: I'm so, so sorry that it took me a couple of days longer than usual to update! My schedules and head got the better of me. (winces apologetically) I really hope that this chapter makes up for it!

First, though… THANK YOU, so very much, for all your reviews and support! It warms my heart immensely that so many of you have joined the ride.

Awkay, because I've already kept you waiting too long… Let's go! I really hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

* * *

Jitters and Embraces

* * *

Derek knew that he could be quite scary when he got on his protective Alpha mode. But a protective Spencer… Well, that was a whole another level of terrifying.

A particularly memorable moment came when a overly pushy elderly doctor entered the hospital room, curious to see the first Alpha and Omega produced baby of his career. It was like a visitor appearing to a zoo. With _their child _on the wrong side of the cage.

Derek was about to react but Spencer was far faster. Instead of the very much physical attack Derek had in mind Spencer stalked over to the obnoxious doctor and leaned close. It would forever remain a mystery what the visibly furious Omega growled into the doctor's ear. The speed at which the older man disappeared, his face chalk white and shaking, convinced Derek that he might just be happier not knowing. It took ten full minutes before Spencer stopped glaring at the room's door, guarding it in case of another intrusion. The entire time the younger man shielded their son with his body. The sight was so right and so wrong all at once that Derek's heart swell.

The entire ward most likely breathed a collective sigh of relief on the day their little family was finally ready to go home. Derek himself felt ready to shout out with sheer joy over getting out of the room that'd started to make him feel claustrophobic. Spencer, on the other hand, didn't seem to share his enthusiasm.

They were waiting for a nurse to deliver the discharge papers when Derek stole a yet another glance towards Spencer, who was sitting on the edge of the by then familiar bed, looking at their son who slept soundly right next to the Omega. A frown appeared to the Alpha's face when he saw the shadows and fear in the younger man's eyes. "Spencer? Are you okay?"

Spencer nodded slowly, appearing very much not alright. "Yeah." The man gulped. "I just… I'm not sure if I'm ready to take him home yet."

All of a sudden Derek understood, quite well in fact. So far they'd been in a very controlled and safe environment, surrounded by people who were able to help with any and every emergency that might turn up. But now… Now it was time to go home. To try and figure out their own way, preferably without causing irreversible physical or emotional harm on their son in the process. If he was honest with himself Derek was scared, too.

"Think positively", Derek advised. "You'll get far away from the so called food these monsters have been feeding you. To your own bed." He was careful not to voice the word 'nest', knowing that Spencer was far from comfortable with Omega terminology. "And you'll get some nice, proper coffee. What's there not to love?"

For a moment a trace of a smile touched Spencer's lips. "I know. I just…" The man gritted his teeth, visibly fighting with himself. "I'm scared that I'll break him somehow."

Derek smiled. "Weren't you supposed to be a genius?" Without even noticing the gesture he took the Omega's hand and squeezed it. "Take a look at the facts and statistics. He refuses to fall asleep without you nearby. He eats better when it's you giving him the food. And you're the only one who can change his diaper without making him scream like his head is being torn off."

Spencer gave him a half-hearted threatening glare. The hand in Derek's squeezed back gently. "I'm not going to let you use that as an excuse to skip diaper-duty."

Derek chuckled. Only the fact that things were still more than a little testy between them kept him from kissing his friend right there. That, and the fact that something was still off. "We're both nervous about taking him home. But I've already promised to stay in your apartment with you, at least at first. Until you heal a bit and get a hang of things. You won't have to go through it alone. So what else is worrying you?"

Spencer looked away. It was hard to determine if it was irritation or shame in the man's eyes. "We weren't supposed to profile each other."

Derek felt fully ready to snap something that would've most likely made things worse. But just then Spencer's primary nurse appeared, a smile on her face. "So… Are you three ready to go home?"

* * *

Derek finally got his answer that night when his instincts roused him, morsing frantically that something was wrong. His eyes flashed in the room's dark while he began to leave the couch he'd been occupying. Instantly all his protective instincts became activated.

_Leo and Spencer…!_

Derek was up at a speed that made him feel dizzy for a long moment but he barely noticed. His steps made barely a sound while he rushed towards the nursery. What he saw upon making it to the doorway froze him to the spot.

Spencer was just sitting there, looking at Leo while the baby slept soundly. Staring so intently that it suggested the man was trying to absorb the infant with his gaze. It might've all been heartwarming if it wasn't for the deep lines of worry on Spencer's face and the haunted look in those exhausted hazel eyes.

Derek frowned and entered. "Spencer?" He dared to take a few steps closer when a barely traceable jump was all the reaction he received. "You were told to rest, remember? You just gave birth and there are still stitches… all over." He preferred not thinking about the exact location. It would've made the already awkward situation unbearable.

Spencer licked his lips and it was then the trembling became visible. The genius was clearly avoiding his gaze. "I… I tried sleeping. But… I had nightmares."

A sharp stab of ache crossed Derek. It took a considerable amount of willpower to keep him from running to Spencer and… "Something you'd like to share?"

Spencer was quiet for so long that Derek was sure that there wouldn't be a response. But then, stunning them both, the Omega began to whisper. "Leo… He was crying. I was listening, but… I couldn't go to him. I couldn't even offer a single word of comfort. And then… Then I didn't even care anymore. He grew quiet and I didn't care." The young man wrapped his arms tightly around himself, never once looking away from the baby although his eyes didn't seem dry. "I… My mom couldn't be exactly… present. My father left when I was ten and before that… Well, he had mom to focus on. So… I know how it feels, to be alone like that."  
Derek's heart quite literally broke, there. This was the most open he'd ever seen Spencer and the emotional load, the trace of the genius' nightmare, was overwhelming. He gulped loudly. "Spencer…"

It was hard to say if Spencer heard him. The younger man's gaze seemed glazed over. "I don't want to be that kind of a parent. Leo… He deserves so much more."

"Hey, none of that!" Derek actually managed to keep his Alpha side in check enough to sound genuinely comforting. With just a couple of strives he'd reached Spencer's side and placed a gentle hand underneath the man's chin to make sure that they were eye to eye. "You've already proven yourself to be a thousand times the parent yours ever have been." How was it possible that Spencer didn't see the connection he had with Leo?

Spencer didn't seem relieved yet, though. After a couple of long moments the Omega finally looked at him, eyes very serious and full of shadows that echoed from the darkest corners of the past. "If I ever become… unwell like mom…"

Derek shook his head fiercely, interrupting the younger man. He was _not_ going to let Spencer do this to himself. "You won't."

Spencer chuckled humorlessly. "How could you know that? It's not something that you or I have control over. I just…" The man gulped, looking away for a beat. "I need you to promise me that if it ever goes there, you put Leo first. That you won't make him watch it. That… That you won't abandon him with me. Because I can't let him…"

Derek couldn't hold himself back for another second. Fighting back tears with all his might he wrapped his arms around Spencer, pulling the Omega close fiercely. Spencer stiffened for a bit, obviously stunned by his actions, but then practically melted againt him. Two hands grabbed the back of Derek's shirt with a incredible amount of force.

Derek sighed, running his hand through Spencer's hair. "I promise", he whispered. After about five minutes of those gentle ministrations and small, soothing sounds the Alpha dimly realized he was producing the worst seemed to be over. He could actually feel a bit of calm settle into the Omega. Still he tightened his hold, not willing to let go now that he had the other so close. "So… Is there anything else in the amazing head of yours that's worrying you?"

Spencer pulled away ever so slightly, peering directly into his eyes. Those hazel eyes, the ones that charmed Derek the moment he met them although it took him years to realize it, shone in the room's dim light. But it wasn't with tears. The Omega's pupils were dilated and Derek could practically feel the man's elevated heartbeat, which matched almost perfectly with his. Spencer licked his lips and before Derek realized properly what was happening his were claimed.

At first the kiss was slow and tentative, almost shy, while Spencer tested the ground on which they stood. When Derek responded with eagerness that he couldn't control the Omega added both pressure and speed. The emotions that flowed through the Alpha made his head spin, filled his whole body with something that he couldn't even begin to explain.

Spencer's taste… The feel of those warm lips on his… All those tiny sounds, echoing from the back of the other's throat… The Omega's scent…

It took all Derek had to regain his sanity. To realized that as much as he wanted to he couldn't let this continue. He groaned against the other's lips and shivered, pulling away as gently as he could. "I… I want this", he admitted hoarsely. "You wouldn't even believe how much. But not like this." He stroked Spencer's flushed cheek gently with his thumb when the younger man emitted a small moan of frustration. That sound, accompanied by how hard certain parts of them were while pressed together, certainly didn't make bringing down the flames any easier. "You're still hormonal after the birth and scared." He smiled, nuzzling his nose against Spencer so affectionately that it stunned him. "I want you. But only when you're ready."

Spencer nodded, his eyes full of disappointment, understanding, relief and softness. The man succumbed to the most adorable yawn Derek had ever seen. The Omega grinned sheepishly afterwards and blinked sluggishly. "Sorry."

Derek shrugged with a smile. "I'd rather imagine that I succeeded in making you relax than boring you." Gently, gently he began to lead Spencer towards the massive armchair not too far from where Leo slept. On their way he attempted to stiffle a yawn of his own. "There's still a lot we need to talk about. But first we have to get some rest."

Spencer frowned, all of a sudden very tense once more. Derek was immensely relieved when the younger man didn't resist upon being pulled down to his lap. It took at least ten minutes before the Omega finally relaxed fully against him, sinking into his arms and resting his head against his shoulder. "You may not get a lot of rest with me around", the younger man warned him, trying to keep his tone light and failing miserably.

Derek shrugged. "I don't care", he announced bluntly. "I wouldn't get any sleep away from you, either, knowing that you're fighting your demons alone. This is where I'm supposed to be."

He wondered if he said something wrong when Spencer tensed up while those words sunk in. But then, gradually, his friend began to relax once more. Derek combed his hand through the other's slightly overgrown hair while Spencer's breathing began to even out. He didn't stop even when the Omega had drifted away fully, as though afraid that the loss of contact would unleash whatever beasts the other was battling.

With his other hand Derek pulled Spencer closer still, sheltering the other half of his whole world the best as he could. A frown appeared to his face when Spencer shivered in his sleep, then calmed again at the feel of his hand in the man's brown locks. With a sigh the Alpha pressed a tender, small ghost of a kiss to the sleeping man's forehead.

Spencer had always been entirely too good at bottling things up. Now it was becoming clear that at least some of those issues would have to be torn wide open and dealt with, for the sake of Spencer himself and their son. But not tonight.

Tonight he'd hold Spencer and do whatever he could to keep the nightmares away, and for now that'd just have to be enough.

* * *

The past weeks, or the time before that when Spencer had been in Las Vegas to sort out his feelings, hadn't been easy on Dr. Gregory Wilson. It wasn't easy to wait and wonder if the man he loved returned his feelings. And it was even harder to receive a text message saying that the baby was finally born and not being able to visit, to go and make sure that the daddy and baby were alright. Another Alpha marching into Derek's territory right after the man's child was born would've been a horrible mistake. It would've done none of them any good. So they remained stuck on occasional text messages and phone calls.

Yet despite the complications Greg wanted whatever he'd be able to get with Spencer. Even if it was just a friendship. No matter how much it'd hurt. But as time passed by without them being able to even meet he began to wonder if he was stuck with nothing.

That was until one miserably dark and gloomy day six weeks after Leo was born. Greg was just getting ready to go home when there was a knock on his office's door. He frowned, irritation flaring inside. He wasn't supposed to see any more patients for the day. "Yes?"

The person entering the room more than a little hesitantly was the about last one he'd expected. For a while he could only stare when Spencer materialized in his office. His heartbeat sped up for a moment when he realized that Leo was also along. It was harder than it should've been to look away form the little one's sleeping face.

"Before you start worrying, Derek knows that I'm here." There was a nervous half smile on the Omega's face. "I just… I had an appointment here and I felt that we need to talk." There was a great deal of longing in those hazel eyes but it wasn't anything romantic. Greg was just a friend that'd been missed terribly over what had to be one of the most overwhelming times of the other's life. The realization hurt.

Still Greg managed to smile while he watched the younger man settling to a chair on the other side of his desk. Then, slowly, his eyebrows furrowed. "You should've told me that you're not okay."

Spencer's eyes were widened slightly when they met his. Genuinely surprised. "What are you talking about?"

Greg sighed, then spoke carefully, not willing to upset the Omega further. "You've lost the pregnancy weight at a incredible speed. And I'm pretty sure that you can't remember the last time you ate properly. It also seems that you haven't been sleeping properly and it's not just because of Leo's colic."

To his surprise Spencer nodded, firmly focused on the baby. It was impossible to read the look in the man's eyes. "I know", the genius admitted softly. There was a long, thoughtful pause. "I'm… I booked another appointment yesterday." The younger man sighed. "There are… things, that I need to sort out with someone that isn't…" The words got lost into the air between them.

"… too close", Greg supplied. And he understood, better than well. He spent a moment watching how Spencer picked up Leo when the baby began to make small distressed noises. "I'm glad that you're getting help. I want you to be happy." Even when it wasn't with him.

Spencer looked at him. Understanding filled the genius' eyes, along with some unnecessary guilt. "I want you to be happy, too."

For a moment they sat in a rather companionable silence. Greg couldn't help but smile at how Leo calmed down almost instantly in his daddy's protective arms. "That suits you, you know?"

For a second confusion was apparent in Spencer's eyes. A beyond puzzled look appeared to the genius' face when realization dawned, along with a blush that would've made anyone's knees weaken. "What, being a dad? I… I don't even know what I'm doing."

Greg shrugged. "Does anyone?" He glanced fondly towards the baby. It was foreign for any Alpha to feel such affection towards another's offspring. But then again, this one was Spencer's, too. "Besides, Leo seems to disagree."

Spencer smiled brightly for a moment, letting their eyes meet. Slowly yet steadily the expression grew more solemn until the Omega sighed. "Look, Greg… I'm sorry…"

Greg shook his head immediately. "You've just gotta believe that some things aren't your fault", he pointed out gently yet firmly. _We can't choose who we love, unfortunately._ He then got up, rubbing his hands together. "So… How would you feel about me buying you a cup of coffee at that new place across the street? Because I've understood that such is what friends do."

Spencer's smile, albeit quite small, was free of all tension. Full of relief and gratitude. And although it _stung_ Greg knew that he did the right thing.

It wasn't the beginning of the relationship that he'd been desiring, but perhaps it was the start of a wonderful friendship.

* * *

It took Spencer longer than it should've to get back home after his meeting with Greg. He didn't regret his decision. No matter how much he enjoyed spending time with the doctor that spark would never turn into something larger than life. But it wasn't easy to break someone's heart.

Spencer tried to calm his nerves with walking around the city. It was a relief that the slight cool breeze seemed to lull Leo into a peaceful slumber. There was no point in having both of them worked up at the same time.

When Spencer finally entered his apartment he stiffened, alarm bells going off in his head. He wasn't alone. Something in him shivered pleasantly when he soon realized that he knew this particular presence. It made things a lot better and so much worse all at once.

With not exactly steady hands he made sure that Leo wasn't hungry and checked the baby's diaper. He was quite pleased to manage it without rousing his son. Then, after watching the infant sleeping for a few moments, Spencer finally felt ready to face what was surely waiting in the bedroom.

When he gave Derek the key to his apartment Spencer had assumed that it'd be only used in cases of emergency. Apparently the Alpha sleeping currently in his bed, clearly exhausted and fresh back from a tough case, had deemed this one such. The Omega was sure that it wasn't about Greg this time. Something about the case had gotten under Derek's skin and the older man had considered his home – his _and_ their baby's home – the only place that could provide enough comfort. If the Alpha's scent was anything to go by the man seemed to be starting to consider this his home as well. The thought was… terrifying, really.

Derek was expecting a level of commitment and companionship, a level of trust, that Spencer just wasn't ready for, at least yet.

Spencer stood by the bedroom's doorway for a few moments, his whole body frozen by indecision. Until something deep inside him made the decision for him. Slowly, carefully as a thief despite climbing into his own bed, he made his way beside Derek and lay down. Instantly his mind became filled by the other's familiar, comforting scent and shivers of pleasure went through him.

Maybe Derek wouldn't hurt him again. Maybe one day he'd be ready to let Derek close enough for… whatever it was forming between them to become a relationship. They both had a lot to learn on that front, among others. Maybe one day he'd be ready for that real bond he could tell Derek craved. Maybe one day there'd be just the three of them in their little family instead of all those monsters from their pasts. Maybe, just maybe, this could actually work out somehow.

But tonight wasn't the time to worry about any of that. And so Spencer sighed deeply with contentment, then closed his eyes and relaxed fully against the Alpha. For a few hours letting go of all his worries. The last thing he felt before dozing off was Derek's arm wrapping protectively around him.

They both slept soundly, leaving the turmoils of the past and future where they belonged.

* * *

TBC

* * *

A/N: There's still a long road to go. (sighs) But at least they seem to be starting it together. This story is slowly starting to tick towards its end but maybe this is just the beginning for our little family.

Soooo, any thoughts? Was it worth the wait? Do let me know!

I've reeeeeeeally gotta go now. Until next time, ya all! I really hope that I'll see you there.

Take care!

* * *

**Guest**: Oh, let's hope so! I'm VERY happy to hear that you liked it.

Colossal thank yous for the review!

* * *

**tymbur1**: My gosh, I'm ecstatic to hear that you enjoyed it so much! (BEAMS) It seems that this is where the healing can truly begin. I REALLY hope that you'll have a good time with what's to come as well.

Massive thank yous for the review!

* * *

**Gubefan1980**: Welcome aboard! I'm extremely happy to hear that you've enjoyed the journey thus far so much. (grins from ear to ear) I noticed you wishing that I'd contact you via mail once I update. I'll try to track you down tomorrow, I promise!

Yes, Spencer definitely means A LOT more to Derek than he realizes. If only he saw his own value… After all that's happened it'll take a while before he's ready to BOND. Let's hope that it won't cause a rift between them. They sure have been through so much that taking it slow might be a nice little breather.

THANK YOU, so much, for your reviews! I really hope that you'll enjoy what's to come.


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